THE Yang di-Pertuan Agong has assented to a declaration of emergency in Batu Sapi, Sabah as a pre-emptive measure to stop the spread of Covid-19, and as a result postponing the parliamentary by-election set for December 5. 

Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah consented to the emergency after an audience today with Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who carried a proposal from cabinet. 

“Therefore, Sultan Abdullah has given his consent for the Proclamation of Emergency for P.185 Batu Sapi, Sabah to be implemented as a proactive measure to curb the Covid-19 epidemic,” the palace said in a statement today.  

“With this declaration, any proceedings that have begun for the purpose of conducting the by-election will not be continued with the purpose of restraining and preventing the occurrence of the fourth wave of Covid-19.

“Another date will be set for the by-election,” the statement read.

Comptroller of the Royal Household Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin said the king also met with director-general of health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, Chief Secretary to the Government Zuki Ali, Attorney-General Idris Harun and Election Commission chairman Ghani Salleh today to be briefed on the emergency proposal.

Al-Sultan Abdullah was satisfied with the explanation given by them and declared the emergency in accordance to Article 150 of the federal constitution to cancel the by-election which was also stipulated in the constitution. 

“Al-Sultan Abdullah was satisfied there was a need for a proclamation of emergency based on Clause (1) Article 150 of the Federal Constitution to enable an Ordinance to be proclaimed under Clause (2B) of Article 150 to cancel the date set for the by-election for Batu Sapi,” the statement read.

The king added it was appropriate for emergency to be declared to cancel the Batu Sapi by-election as it will see over 3,000 people travelling from places like Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak to vote in Sabah.

“In this regard, his majesty thinks that it is very appropriate for this by-election to be cancelled and postponed for the safety of the people and the wellbeing of the country,” he said. 

This was after the Sabah state elections in September saw the Covid-19 cases in the country spike to triple digits after being brought down to a single digit. 

“His majesty’s consent comes after the experience from the 16th Sabah state election, which is the main factor in the third wave of Covid-19 transmissions in the country,” he said.

On October 23, Muhyiddin’s cabinet proposed a nationwide emergency declaration to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in order to reduce the spread of Covid-19 cases.

The Agong on October 25, after hearing the views of the Malay rulers, decided not to give consent to the application for the emergency declaration.

The monarch felt the government had managed to deal with the Covid-19 crisis effectively and thought there was no need for an emergency at the moment.

Sources told The Malaysian Insight however the emergency was not Muhyiddin’s idea but was the decision of the National Security Council (NSC) and the Bersatu president was already given the mandate by his party to call for snap polls. – November 18, 2020.