Emergency: Independent committee reports only to the Agong

 

The Independent Special Committee on Emergency 2021 is not allowed to divulge its findings to the public, said committee chairperson Arifin Zakaria.

Speaking to Malaysiakini, Arifin said its periodic reports are private and confidential, meant only for the consumption of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

"These are the rules. We report only to the Agong," said Arifin, a former chief justice.

Arifin (above) said this when asked to respond to an opinion piece by prominent thinker Chandra Muzaffar published by the New Straits Times today, where he suggested that the independent committee publish a report to be debated by MPs ahead of Aug 1, when the emergency is, for now, set to expire.

Chandra has suggested that the report detail how the government and society as a whole have managed the pandemic so far and the ensuing socio-economic crisis.

Then, the committee can incorporate the views of the MPs in their final report to the Agong.

"Such an approach will not only do justice to the people's sentiments but also incorporate inputs from both houses of Parliament. It would adhere to established procedures and protocols while recognising the role of the executive and the king," wrote Chandra.

The 19-member committee was established under the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021. Its duty is to advise the Agong on when the emergency should end.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had convinced the Agong in January that the emergency was necessary to deal with the pandemic.

By enacting the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021, Muhyiddin's government had given itself the powers to seize resources and property necessary to deal with the pandemic, gave enforcers more powers, allowed the executive to dip into the National Trust Fund, and enacted a new law to deal with "fake news".

However, there are no signs that things are getting better. In June alone, 972 people have died of Covid-19 as of today. That is 4.7 times more than the number of people who died in January. - Mkini