PERIKATAN Nasional must state whether it disagreed with the king’s decision not to call for a state of emergency following contradictory statements from its leaders, said an Umno leader.

Umno Supreme Council member Razlan Raffi urged Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to state the government’s position after several PN leaders claimed it was unhappy with the Agong’s decision.

“We urge the PM to take a stand at once – whether they are sticking with the emergency bid or rejecting it after public rebuke,” Razlan told the Malaysian Insight today.

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah on Sunday rejected the government’s advice to declare a national emergency over the coronavirus epidemic. 

Recently appointed Senator Rais Yatim, of Bersatu, has since tweeted that the Agong is compelled to act on the advice of the PM, and suggested that Muhyiddin should talk to the king once more.
 
Razlan said Rais could be construed as speaking for the government, of which Umno was a part, even though the party leadership had made clear its opposition to the emergency proposal.

“When Rais makes a statement like that, it is reflective of the government as he was appointed by Muhyiddin and his post is a critical one,” he said.

He said Umno was not party to the government’s plan to invoke emergency powers.
 
“If they are serious at all, we urge the parties involved to talk to us first before deciding,” Razlan said.

Razlan said no one in Umno would oppose the Agong in the matter.

“We do not go against our king. The party agreed to his decree but if there are those who disagree, we will take action,” Razlan said without specifying what actions the party would take against dissenters.

A lawyer named Syed Iskandar Syed Jaafar today filed a suit to to determine if the Agong has discretionary powers to reject the prime minister’s advice to call an emergency. – October 30, 2020.