Penang wants consultation, minister hopes Sarawak excluded

 

State governments should be consulted first before a state of emergency relating to the Covid-19 crisis is declared, said Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.

He said apart from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, state governments are entitled to be consulted.

"It is a very big decision," Chow (photo, above) told reporters in Penang, according to The Star.

The governments of Penang, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and previously Sabah had repeatedly complained that they were left out of National Security Council (NSC) meetings relating to the council's decisions on the movement control order (MCO), which included the heads of governments in other states or territories.

Yesterday, a "special" cabinet meeting was held in the morning sparking widespread speculation that Putrajaya was pursuing a state of emergency.

Although the state government gave no details, Putrajaya has not dispelled widespread speculation that the move will include the suspension of Parliament.

Istana Negara has confirmed that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong was mulling over proposals from Putrajaya, but he has to consult fellow rulers first.

Meanwhile, Sarawak Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah hoped that a state of emergency would not apply to Sarawak as the number of Covid-19 cases in the state remained low.

"Until we see cases in triple digits every day here, probably only then we can say the Covid-19 pandemic is out of control in Sarawak, and we have to declare a state of emergency," he said, according to Dayak Daily.

Abdul Karim said it was difficult to speculate on what Putrajaya was trying to achieve but cautioned that there have been instances where emergency only applied to certain states, such as Kelantan in 1977 and Sarawak in 1966.

To a question, Abdul Karim said if the emergency does not apply to Sarawak, state elections might be able to proceed.

"But we do not know what kind of emergency this might be (if at all)," he said.

The Sarawak election is due in the middle of 2021. - FMT