Malaysia s Opposition Leader Challenges PM Over Parliament Suspension
01/26/21 AT 5:39 AM
Malaysia s opposition leader has launched legal action against the prime minister over the suspension of parliament during a state of emergency aimed at fighting the coronavirus, his lawyer said Tuesday.
The king declared a national emergency earlier this month for the first time in half a century, following a request from Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin as virus cases spiralled out of control.
The declaration has allowed Muhyiddin to suspend parliament at a time his government was on the brink of collapse, sparking accusations that he was using it to cling to power.
[Reuters]
Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s purported advice to Malaysia’s king to suspend Parliament due to COVID-19 was illegal and unconstitutional, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said in a court filing this week, the second legal challenge to the embattled premier in January.
A statement from the National Palace on Jan. 12 said Muhyiddin had requested that the king declare a national emergency, but made no mention that Parliament would be suspended. Anwar alleged in his court filing in the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Monday that Muhyiddin had advised the king to suspend the legislature.
“I respectfully state that the cabinet led by Muhyiddin has acted in bad faith in advising the king to suspend Parliament, which is an abuse of their position, in an effort to achieve collateral purpose,” Anwar’s judicial review application said.
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