The Yang di Pertuan Agong should ask the Judiciary for its opinion as to whether Article 150 of the Constitution allows the proclamation of Emergency and suspension of Parliament to enable the Prime Minister to resolve his political problems

Before yesterday, nobody discussed Article 150 of the Proclamation of Emergency as a possible solution to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The reason was simple. Only the most desperate or the most mediocre Prime Minister would seek to invoke Article 150 of the Constitution to proclaim an emergency to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, as there is nothing which the Government cannot do presently to fight the war against the Covid-19 pandemic but which requires a proclamation of emergency to empower the government to do so.

As of yesterday, Sabah has 6,827 Covid-19 active cases, followed by Selangor 960, Kedah 586 and Penang 372, while the rest of the states have less than 200 active cases, with Kelantan, Pahang and Perlis less than 10 active cases.

Is the Proclamation of Emergency going to be confined to Sabah?

How can there be justification for the imposition of a state of emergency in Sarawak, Malacca, Johore, Putrajaya, Terengganu, Kelantan, Pahang and Perlis which have all less than 100 Covid-19 active cases each?

Has the government lost control of the Covid-19 pandemic in Kedah, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Perak and Negri Sembilan as to justify the proclamation of emergency under Article 150 of the Constitution for these states?

Yes, there is a need for more effective action against the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, and what is urgently needed is to forge an “all-of-government” and “whole-of society” campaign against the third wave of the Covid-19 epidemic.

Will the proclamation of emergency and the suspension of Parliament forge such an “all-of-government” and “whole-of-society” approach?

I dare say the opposite is more likely, as the people can see that the very persons who had undermined such an “all-of-government” and “whole-of-society” approach are none other than the Perikatan Nasional Ministers and leaders themselves.

Furthermore, why must Parliament be suspended in a proclamation of emergency to fight the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Did the Cabinet present to the Yang di Pertuan Agong the option of a proclamation of emergency without suspension of Parliament?

And will Malaysia proclaim an emergency every time there is a new wave of the Covid-19 pandemic?

May be, the Yang di Pertuan Agong should ask the Judiciary for its opinion as to whether Article 150 of the Constitution allows the proclamation of Emergency and suspension of Parliament to enable the Prime Minister to resolve his political problems.