Baru Bian. — File photo
KUCHING (July 27): The shocking announcement by de facto Law Minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan in Parliament yesterday that the federal government had decided to revoke all Emergency Ordinances that had been enforced during the period of Emergency has raised many questions – all of which need to be addressed, said Selangau MP Baru Bian.
Baru regarded this as ‘a complete surprise’ as there had been no announcement made after the last Cabinet meeting, and that there had been no gazetting of such revocation.
“Where did the Prime Minister derive the power to revoke the Emergency Ordinances, which should properly be revoked by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, or by Parliament?
“Is the whole Cabinet ignorant about the law, or do they intentionally want to mislead the Parliament?” he questioned.
During the Dewan Rakyat sitting yesterday, Takiyuddin said that the six Emergency Ordinances drafted and enforced during the period of Emergency were voided and annulled by the government on July 21, following a Cabinet meeting held on the same date.
He also said the government had decided not to extend the period of Emergency and its accompanying Ordinances post-Aug 1.
In view of this, Baru wondered whether the country was still in a state of Emergency and what was the status of offences committed after July 21, such as for breaches of standard operating procedures (SOP) and the fines imposed.
“Had the enforcement agencies been informed of the revocation, or were they blissfully unaware and carrying out enforcement activities?”
Baru said on July 21, there were 11,985 new Covid-19 cases in the country and as such, he questioned Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s rationale for revoking the Emergency Ordinances at the time.
“During the Prime Minister’s briefing, he did not mention the revocation of the Emergency Ordinances. This would have been the biggest piece of news, so why was he (and the rest of his Cabinet) so secretive?
“The inescapable conclusion is that the announcement by the de facto Law Minister was solely for the purpose of avoiding a debate on the Emergency Ordinances and a vote being taken, as the Perikatan Nasional (PN)-led government is running scared of losing the vote,” he said.
Baru, who is also Ba Kelalan assemblyman, said issues arising that were more pertinent to Sarawak were to do with the effect of the purported revocation on the status of the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (DUN).
“Is it to be deemed dissolved on July 21 when the Emergency Ordinances were said to have been revoked? Do the 60 days for the announcement of a date for elections run from July 21?
“Why have the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) cabinet ministers kept quiet about all this?
“Did they know about the purported revocation? It seems that they are content to just be led meekly by the nose by their political masters in Putrajaya in the circus that they have created these past 17 months,” he said.
Baru pointed out that with the purported revocation, he viewed the parliamentary sitting as ‘a waste of time’.
“We are just here to listen to briefings from the five ministers, which will probably be what they have said before to the press.
“As Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said, these briefings could be contained in a White Paper to be tabled in the next sitting,” he said.
Baru said the egregious conduct of Muhyiddin, the Cabinet and the Speaker was ‘a reflection of the PN government’s conduct in handling the Covid-19 crisis in Malaysia’.
“They are just pulling out trick upon trick to cover up their incompetence and bungling, while the long-suffering people continue to drown in hardship and debt.
“Is it possible for ‘Mahiaddin’ Yassin and his gang to sink any lower? Will GPS ministers and MPs find some testicular fortitude and speak up against this disgraceful government? Or will they continue to keep quiet about these shameless schoolboys and their sneaky shenanigans?” he questioned.
Baru also said this ‘sham parliamentary sitting’ would go down in history as ‘being one of the lowest points of our country’.
“It is an absolute insult to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong who had wanted the Emergency Proclamation and Emergency Ordinances to be debated in Parliament, besides being an assault on our parliamentary democracy.
“Cowardice had many faces in Parliament today,” he pointed out.