DR Mahathir Mohamad today said that declaring a state of emergency would just give more power to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

The former prime minister said offering Covid-19 as an excuse to make the declaration is not feasible because the country is managing the Covid-19 pandemic well.

“What can an emergency do to stop the pandemic more than we can do now? Nothing.

“However, an emergency would give extra power to the prime minister. What he has done so far has not mitigated the political, economic and social problems affecting the country?” Dr Mahathir said in his blog Chedet.

Yesterday, sources indicated the Perikatan Nasional government plans to introduce a state of emergency amid the Covid-19 pandemic and political instability.

Muhyiddin had a two-hour meeting with Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah in Kuantan yesterday, hours after he chaired a special cabinet meeting in Putrajaya earlier in the morning.

Dr Mahathir said that Covid-19 has been used to justify the government delays to convening Parliament, shortening sittings and preventing debates.

“Now it is to justify declaring a state of emergency, but the power and authority in today’s government have been adequate to deal with the pandemic.

“We don’t find the kind of objection by the people as seen in the US and Europe. Our people have largely obeyed the restrictions, such as the MCO.”

Dr Mahathir said that Muhyiddin has a huge cabinet that has contributed nothing to the wellbeing of the people or the country.

“Most of the things (the government is doing) are about the political situation. It is not the government elected by the people.

“It has come to power by undemocratic means and now it is only concerned about staying in power,” he said, adding that – faced with the possibility of being overthrown – the prime minister wanted to consolidate power under a state of emergency.

“The only benefit would accrue to the prime minister, as Parliament would be paralysed. He would claim that it is the wish of the Palace.

Dr Mahathir said that, already, the mere rumour of a state of emergency has resulted in the stock market taking a deep dive.

“If it is declared then the market will collapse completely. The investors have no faith in the prime minister being able to manage the economy.

“He messed up the Covid-19 situation by trying to grab the government of Sabah. The present spike is entirely due to the Sabah elections.

“So, the government has been changed. What good has it brought to Sabah?”

Dr Mahathir said that nations with more severe Covid-19 problems have declared a state of emergency for specific areas, not the whole country.

“That was specific for dealing with a local problem, but none have suspended laws and Parliament as it would if emergency is declared in Malaysia.

“There are no riots or violence in Malaysia, no breakdown of law and order to justify a state of emergency, yet there is a need for some changes to be made to the government, which seized power through undemocratic means.” – October 24, 2020.