Committee agrees on 'criteria' to end emergency, no further details

 

The Independent Special Committee on Emergency 2021 said it has agreed to several “criteria and threshold” in reviewing whether the state of emergency should be continued or not.

However, the committee did not elaborate on the details of the criteria and threshold they agreed to.

“The Independent Special Committee on Emergency 2021 has received various presentations in its series of meetings about the current situation of the Covid-19 pandemic from various individuals, health experts, and other related fields.

“At this stage, the committee has, by consensus, agreed on setting several criteria and threshold in making reviews about the continued existence of the emergency or whether to end it.

“The committee will continue to meet from time to time to review the continued existence of the emergency or whether to end it,” the committee said in a statement this afternoon.

Their statement came around the same time when Pakatan Harapan's top brass urged the committee to speak up or risk being complicit in the abuse of emergency powers.

In a separate statement this afternoon, Harapan’s presidential council said although coalition representatives have been pressing the committee to recommend the end of the emergency, the committee has not offered any response.

"If the committee remains silent, Harapan is forced to question its role and the function of the coalition's representatives in the committee.

"Alternatively, are our representatives meant to legitimise all the abuses of emergency powers which have suspended Parliament?" asked the presidential council.

Meanwhile, the emergency committee said in its statement today that it has met six times since it was formed on Feb 9 with the first meeting on Feb 18. All six meetings have been chaired by former chief justice Arifin Zakaria.

There are 19 members in the bipartisan committee, who were appointed with the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Among its members are Tanjung Karang MP Noh Omar, Pasir Puteh MP Nik Muhammad Zawawi, Batang Lupar MP Rohani Abdul Karim, Beaufort MP Azizah Mohd Dun, Kulim-Bandar Baharu Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Seremban MP Anthony Loke, and Kuala Selangor MP Dzulkefly Ahmad.

The committee, set up under Section 2 of the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021, serves to advise the Agong on the ongoing emergency, as well as when it should end.

The Agong declared a state of emergency on Jan 12, which is scheduled to last until Aug 1 or an earlier date, depending on the Covid-19 situation in the country. - Mkini