M’sia King Has Just Declared a State of Emergency. Here’s What It Means

When it comes to Covid-19, Malaysia is still in the thick of things.

Previously, Malaysia Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin addressed his people on Monday (11 Jan).

And much to their dismay, it was to announce a nationwide travel ban and a 14-day in five states and three federal territories.

Yet, even before people have the chance to truly digest the new MCO, which is slated to begin on 13 Jan, the king of Malaysia spoke.

M’sia King Has Just Declared a State of Emergency. Here’s What It Means

One day later (12 Jan), Malaysia’s King Al-Sultan Abdullah declared a state of emergency across Malaysia to curb the rampant Covid-19 transmission.

The decision was reached after a meeting between Malaysia’s prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin bin Yassin and Sultan Abdullah.

PM Muhyiddin had presented the results of a Cabinet Meeting on the proposal to declare a state of emergency in the 45-minute face-to-face meeting.

Depending on the Covid-19 situation, the state of emergency could last until 1 Aug 2021, the statement from the palace revealed.

In a state of emergency, Parliament can be suspended during an emergency, and elections and by-elections can be postponed.

The federal government can also push through policies that it normally wouldn’t be able to.

No Military Rule Or Curfew

In a live televised speech on 12 Jan, PM Muhyiddin assured the people of Malaysia that under the declared state of emergency, there will be no curfew or military rule.

“The civilian government will continue to function. the emergency proclaimed by the King is not a military coup and curfews will not be enforced.”

It was added that the Malaysian government and public service will still be operating as usual despite the emergency.

As for the purpose of the state of emergency, it means that the King can give the necessary decrees to fight Covid-19, including allowing the government to take over private healthcare facilities if public hospitals are over-stretched.

An Independent Committee Will Be Set Up

In the palace’s statement, it was announced that the king will allow the proposal to set up a committee dedicated to resolving the Covid-19 situation.

The committee will comprise of health experts, government and opposition Members of Parliament (MPs).

The independent committee will also make recommendations to the King if they think that the emergency can be lifted earlier than 1 Aug 2021.

Meanwhile, people in Malaysia are advised to “remain calm and resilient” in facing both the new Movement Control Order (MCO) and the emergency.

Concerning Third Wave

Malaysia first imposed the MCO in March 2020, to combat rising infections.

Thanks to the strict movement curbs, the number of infections gradually fell, and restrictions were eased so more businesses could reopen and the tourism industry could be revived.

But then cases started spiking in September after new clusters were detected in Sabah.

And these cases continued to rise after that, in what many refer to as Malaysia’s third wave. 

Two Cabinet ministers were also hospitalised for Covid-19 within the last few days.

Health officials predicted that infections would grow to 8,000 a day if stricter measures were not imposed.

“Our health system can no longer afford to handle 2,000 daily Covid-19 cases. Our healthcare system is at a breaking point,” PM Muhyiddin said.

According to CNA, Malaysia’s bed capacity for Covid-19 patients is 23,000, but active cases have surpassed 28,000.

Malaysia reported 2,433 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday (10 Jan), bringing the total tally to 133,559.

Featured Image: Siti Nur Sahira / Shutterstock.com