PN govt to restrategise after royal rebuff

 

The Perikatan Nasional cabinet held an informal meeting at Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's home in Bukit Damansara tonight (Oct 25) in a bid to restrategise after the Yang di-Pertuan Agong rejected their request to impose a state of emergency.

A government source who is familiar with the matter confirmed to Malaysiakini that all ministers were present at the meeting, hours after the king formally rejected Muhyiddin's emergency request which was put in on Friday.

The meeting started at about 9pm and ended at around 11pm.

"The discussion was about the decree of the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong," the government source told Malaysiakini.

The source added that there will be follow up to the informal meeting tonight with a special cabinet meeting tomorrow (Oct 26).

Amid the flurry of activity at Muhyiddin's home tonight, his political rivals have suggested that the Pagoh MP was mulling to resign as the prime minister following the royal rebuff. 

However, a senior Bersatu leader who spoke to Malaysiakini on condition of anonymity dismissed this.

"The cabinet made the proposal for an emergency but it has been turned down so they now have to discuss a new strategy.

"Parliament is also around the corner," the source said.

Had the ruler granted Muhyiddin's wish for a state of emergency, Parliament could be suspended and the premier can govern without the regular checks and balances, including passing the budget for next year.

The government had framed the emergency as necessary to combat Covid-19 but critics claimed it was an attempt to cling on to power amid speculations that a group of rebel Umno MPs were planning to turn against Muhyiddin.

This could mean that Muhyiddin won't be able to pass Budget 2021 next month.

The prime minister has a fragile majority with the support of 113 MPs out of the 222 in the Dewan Rakyat. The defection of three MPs is enough to bring down his government.

Muhyiddin released a statement 30 minutes after the impromptu meeting concluded tonight and made no mention about a resignation. 

While acknowledging the rejection, he also noted that the ruler had expressed confidence in his government to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.

Muhyiddin also welcomed the rulers' advice for politicians to stop trying to destabilise his government during the pandemic.

Earlier tonight, a beeline of heavily-tinted vehicles made their way into the compound of Muhyiddin's residence.

However, photographers were able to see through the tint with their high-intensity camera flash.

Among the ministers spotted included Rina Harun, Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Redzuan Yusof, Radzi Jidin, M Saravanan, Edmund Santhara and Noraini Ahmad.

A government source who spoke to Malaysiakini also confirmed that Azmin Ali and Wee Ka Siong were among those present.

They began leaving at close to 11pm and Federal Territories Minister Annuar Musa, who is also the BN secretary-general, was the last to depart. - Mkini

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