By Selangor Journal Team
SHAH ALAM, Jan 12 — The Prime Minister announced today that parliament and state legislative assembly sittings will not convene throughout the period of emergency and that there will be no general, state, or by-elections to be held.
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the present government will continue to function according to the Federal Constitution during the emergency.
“The Parliament and the state legislative assemblies will not convene until a date that is set by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong,” he said in a special address on the declaration of a state of emergency broadcasted live today.
Muhyiddin said under normal circumstances, by-elections must be held within 60 days after the seat is vacant and state elections must also be held within 60 days after the state legislative assemblies are dissolved.
However, all elections will be suspended during the emergency period.
“We know that the people do not want to have elections now to prevent the spread of Covid-19 infections like what happened with the Sabah state election.
“(So), to ensure that the emergency period is carried out fairly and transparently, a special Independent Committee will be established under an Ordinance to advise the Agong whether a serious emergency is still happening in the Federation to resume the emergency proclamation or to end the proclamation earlier than the set date,” he said.
He also explained that the Covid-19 pandemic was the main reason that deterred him from advising the King on the dissolution of the Parliament to pave the way for an election to be held.
Earlier, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah consented to a state of emergency in the country until August 1 as a means to curb the Covid-19 outbreak.
