THE cabinet has decided to implement an emergency amid political instability and the Covid-19 pandemic, a source told The Malaysian Insight.

“Seems like a done deal,” said the source privy to the three-hour special cabinet meeting in Putrajaya this morning.

“They just need to repackage the word ‘emergency’ so that the public won’t panic. They won’t call it ‘darurat’ but will give it a new name. Something for Covid-19,” said the source.

Meanwhile, another source told The Malaysian Insight that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin will have an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong at 4pm today on the emergency decision.

It has been speculated that Muhyiddin will call for an “emergency” at the special cabinet meeting today. The cabinet is also rumoured to have discussed Budget 2021 and the upcoming Parliament session that begins on November 2.

Earlier today, national news agency Bernama reported Prof Dr Shamrahayu A. Aziz’s explanation on what a state of emergency means and what the government can do during such a period.

Several other news agencies also published speculative stories, suggesting Muhyiddin is aiming to declare an emergency to allow the government to bypass Parliament.

A source told Singapore Straits Times: “It will not be similar to the curfews and military presence we had after the 1969 race riots.”

“Instead, normal life under the movement control-order will continue without politics getting in the way of dealing with a health crisis.”

Politically, Muhyiddin has come under pressure lately, with Umno threatening to withdraw its support from the Perikatan Nasional government, which currently has the slim majority support of only 113 MPs in Parliament.

Amid the pressure from Umno, Pakatan Harapan chairman Anwar Ibrahim had also met the king on September 23 and annouced that he had the support of enough MPs to become prime minister.

The last time Malaysia announced a national emergency was in 1969, following the May 13 race riots. – October 23, 2020.