Anwar to take govt to court to reinstate parliamentary sitting

 

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has clarified that Pakatan Harapan will challenge the government in court not on the emergency proclamation, but to stress the need to have a parliamentary sitting.

This comes several days after he announced the preparation of the application to challenge Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and the government "on their baseless declaration of a state of emergency".

"Things that we want to point out in court is not about the emergency, but the need to continue with parliamentary meetings, so that Parliament can convene.

"Tomorrow or the day after, the legal team will point out in court, as requested by me and comrades in Harapan, to ensure that the court decides that Parliament can continue, without even touching on the emergency," he said.

Anwar, who is also PKR president, said this at a media conference aired live on his Facebook page today.

Other than the legal means, Harapan has also sent a joint appeal letter to the Agong yesterday.

Anwar said that they sought the king's compassion and wisdom in reviewing the emergency proclamation and appealed for the parliamentary sitting to be held as soon as possible.

The emergency has been put in place since last week up until Aug 1 on top of the renewed movement control order to contain the Covid-19 outbreak which had worsened to four digit daily since November last year.

No parliamentary sitting can take place throughout the emergency.

Muhyiddin had said the emergency was necessary to fight the Covid-19 pandemic but critics claim he was using it to cling on to power after losing his majority in the Dewan Rakyat. - Mkini