KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 15 — The Emergency Ordinance 2021 has finally been gazetted and is in effect, a check on the e-Federal Gazette showed.
The gazettement is dated January 14, but takes retrospective effect from January 11, the day Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah issued his proclamation of Emergency under Article 150 (1) of the Federal Constitution to safeguard the country from the economic threat posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
"This Ordinance is deemed to have come into operation on 11 January 2021," the commencement section of the gazette read.
The delay of the gazette, known as the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021, has drawn questions from Malaysians.
Lawyer Syahredzan Johan, who is also an aide to DAP MP Lim Kit Siang, had yesterday questioned the void of a gazette on the Ordinance to facilitate the Emergency proclamation, saying without it, Parliament cannot be formally suspended.
He said that gazetting the Proclamation of Emergency alone is not enough as per the list in the e-Federal Gazette, and that it has to specifically gazette the necessary Ordinance.
Opposition MPs have also questioned Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s subsequent announcement of the suspension of Parliament and elections during the nationwide state of Emergency that is to last until August 1, or until Covid-19 cases decrease to manageable levels, whichever comes first.
PKR MP Hassan Abdul Karim said both the Emergency and the suspension of Parliament were separate matters, and claimed the latter was unconstitutional.
Under the Emergency declaration, Parliament and state legislative assemblies will not be allowed to meet, until such a time as decided by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
The Dewan Rakyat was scheduled to meet for the first time this year from March 8 to April 8.
