DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang has questioned if Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin will dishonour his pledge that the Special Independent Committee on Emergency will be the body to advise the king on when to end the emergency instead of the cabinet.
He said this after de facto Law Minister Takiyuddin Hassan remarked yesterday that the responsibility lies with the cabinet in advising the ruler whether to extend the emergency.
"In his national telecast on Jan 21, the prime minister gave an implicit public undertaking that it was the special independent committee and not the cabinet or designated minister who will advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on whether a major emergency should continue.
"Does Muhyiddin understand what he announced? Is Muhyiddin to dishonour such a solemn implicit public undertaking?
"Takiyuddin denied that the cabinet was 'shifting goalposts' as to when the emergency period should come to an end. He said the cabinet was only correcting rules to help the referee make the right decision. What does Takiyuddin mean when he said he was merely correcting the rules?" Lim said in a statement today.
The Iskandar Puteri MP further asked what was the point in setting up the 19-member special committee when the cabinet or a minister will advise the ruler on matters pertaining to the emergency.
"Where is the prime minister? This is the time for Muhyiddin to speak up."
Takiyuddin had made the remark on the cabinet's role to advise the Agong on the emergency end date in response to Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, who was cited by the Malay Mail as saying that the king had the discretion to decide on the matter.
Following this, Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Azalina Othman Said yesterday criticised Takiyuddin and told the government it should not shift the goalposts on when the emergency will end, which the law minister denied it was doing.
Meanwhile, political leaders in the Special Independent Committee on Emergency also called Takiyuddin out for his comments.
PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the role of the special committee is to advise the king on when to end the emergency.
"Until now, the special committee still exists and carries out its duty to submit a report to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong," he said in a statement today.
He questioned if the cabinet has taken over the function of the special committee.
"If this is true, what is the need for the special committee to be created?
"Takiyuddin's statement is confusing and had raised a few questions. As a member of the Special Independent Committee on Emergency who was appointed by the ruler, I would like to have him immediately provide an explanation," Saifuddin demanded.
DAP organising secretary Anthony Loke reminded Takiyiddin that the special committee was playing a parallel role with the cabinet as far as advising the Agong on the matter.
Umno's Noh Omar also asked Takiyuddin to explain the role of the special committee.
"Why does the Perikatan National minister like to make contradictory statements and flip-flop which can confuse the people?
"Perhaps this is because the Parliament is not allowed to meet, so there is no check and balance and the minister can make whatever decision they want," he said on Facebook today. - Mkini
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