Pejuang will send a letter tomorrow at the latest to Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah to beseech for the withdrawal of the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021.
Its deputy president Marzuki Yahya said the letter will represent all four of Pejuang's parliamentarians.
"We have prepared the letter. Maybe we will send it today or latest by tomorrow," he told Malaysiakini.
However, he did not explain whether the letter will be signed by all of Pejuang's MPs or only by its president Mukhriz Mahathir.
Marzuki, who is a senator, said they are sending the letter because they believe the movement control order (MCO) is sufficient to mitigate the Covid-19 pandemic.
The four Pejuang lawmakers are Langkawi MP Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Jerlun MP Mukhriz, Kubang Pasu MP Amiruddin Hamzah and Sri Gading MP Shahruddin Md Salleh.
On Jan 14, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim had urged opposition MPs to send a letter of appeal to the Agong to ask for the withdrawal of the emergency and for Parliament to convene as soon as possible.
Pakatan Harapan had said that there is no need for an emergency because, it claimed, the ordinance gives the prime minister absolute power to "do anything" and that it damages the check-and-balance process in the country.
Letter representing 95 MPs
Meanwhile, a source close to Anwar told Malaysiakini that as many as 95 MPs are involved in Harapan's appeal letter to the Agong.
However, only one letter will be issued, instead of 95 separate letters.
The source said that 91 of the Harapan MPs involved are from PKR, DAP and Amanah, with the other four being independent lawmakers, who were not named.
Initially, it was said the appeal letter would be sent today but it is now unclear when it would be delivered to the Agong.
When contacted by Malaysiakini, PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil did not reveal the exact date and time when the letter would be sent.
"We will tell the media later. For now, we have not received any instruction (related to sending the letter)," Fahmi said.
It is also unclear whether any Umno MPs responded to Anwar's call for an appeal letter to the Agong.
None, says Tajuddin
Asked by Malaysiakini about this, Umno election director Tajuddin Abdul Rahman simply said: "None."
Previously, Umno had called for the powers under the Emergency Ordinance to be focused on controlling the spread of Covid-19.
Warisan’s parliamentary whip Rozman Isli told Malaysiakini yesterday that Warisan MPs will not write a letter to the Agong because their president Shafie Apdal had already stated their stand at a press conference.
The Agong had decreed the state of emergency be implemented as a proactive step to combat Covid-19.
According to the new Emergency Ordinance, Parliament and elections have been suspended, the government can use private assets to treat Covid-19 patients and the military was given powers to enforce the law. - Mkini
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