'Emergency to hold power is fake news' claim baseless, says MP

 

Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh has chided Takiyuddin Hassan for saying that it's an offence to claim the government sought an emergency declaration because it has lost its majority.

Takiyuddin, who is the de facto law minister, said so during a joint media conference with Communications and Multimedia Minister Saifuddin Abdullah to explain the fake news ordinance which came into effect today.

In response, Ramkarpal asked if it's wrong for the people to question if the government has a majority.

"Is it wrong to ask if this might be connected to the government’s advice to the Agong to declare an emergency?

"Is it wrong for the people to raise this as a valid concern, given the political developments lately in the country?" he said in a statement.

Ramkarpal urged Takiyuddin to stop threatening the people with "baseless threats".

"Takiyuddin must be careful with his words. Who is he to intimidate us with what we feel are valid concerns?" he said.

In regard to the number of supports to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, Ramkarpal stressed that he does not know if the Perikatan Nasional government has the majority which makes it imperative for the Parliament to convene soonest during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The prime minister should have nothing to fear if he has a majority today and advice the Agong to lift the suspension of Parliament in the interest of the country as it is necessary for laws relating to the pandemic to be debated in Parliament for the betterment of the country.

"I have no doubt that laws that help to contain the pandemic will be supported by both sides of the divide in the interests of the country," he said.

The new ordinance makes spreading "fake news" on Covid-19 or the emergency punishable by up to RM100,000 or up to three-year imprisonments, or both.

However, critics had expressed concerns that this ordinance would be used to silence critics.

In the press conference earlier, Takiyuddin highlighted that under the ordinance, a Sessions Court judge hearing a related charge has the discretion to release an accused with only a warning. - Mkini