THE king has essentially called the ruling Perikatan Nasional government’s bluff by revealing he has not consented to revoke any emergency laws before the current Emergency ends on Sunday.

So what happens to the laws now? 

Will these laws be tabled or laid before both Houses of Parliament – the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara – today before both houses convene next week? 

Will the Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun allow a motion to stop the clock to allow these laws to be tabled? 

As it is, he has stuck to finishing the business of the day by 5.30pm, as Covid-19 infections grow in Parliament House. 

And what happens if these laws are not tabled before the Emergency ends because the Yang di-Pertuan Agong has expressly ordered the laws have to be debated in this special sitting called by the government. 

The entire process has been derailed from Monday when the government decided to press ahead with briefing the lawmakers on the National Recovery Plan rather than table and debate the emergency laws. 

All the MPs knew differently on Monday was the government had confirmed it would not apply for another Emergency despite rising infections and deaths from Covid-19. 

As the man in the centre of the storm, Law Minister Takiyuddin Hassan said on Monday, “I want to confirm that the government has agreed not to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to extend the Proclamation of Emergency when it ends on August 1.

“The government also decided, according to Article 150(3) of the Federal Constitution to revoke the Emergency Ordinances (EO) that was made during the Emergency proclamation, and because it was revoked the issue of annulments (of the Ordinances) is no more relevant.

“Also, all the Emergency Ordinances, a total of six that were made, the federal government has decided to revoke all of them effective July 21, 2021, not today, but on July 21,” he said on Monday, sparking an uproar. 

But the minister did not disclose if the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had consented to the government’s decision to revoke the EOs.

Azhar stopped the commotion by muting all MPs’ microphones and went ahead with the agenda for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to brief the House about his recovery plans. 

Until now, no one has seen the laws the king said should be debated. Or the gazette to confirm the laws have been revoked. 

The Emergency from January 11 is set to end on August 1. It came to effect with the Emergency (Essential Powers) (Amendment) Ordinance (EO) 2021 gazetted on January 14. 

Some controversial rules in the EO include giving the government power to spend from the country’s coffers as they please without obtaining Parliament’s approval.

The provisions also allow individuals to be compounded up to RM10,000 for breaching movement control order regulations, and up to RM500,000 fines against those found guilty of circulating unverified information or “fake news”.  – July 29, 2021.