KUCHING (July 30): De facto law minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan should take responsibility for the royal rebuke over the revocation of Emergency ordinances and resign from the federal Cabinet, political analysts said.
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Bintulu Campus’ Faculty of Humanity, Management and Science Dean Prof Dr Jayum Jawan said the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department should tender his resignation immediately to absolve the Cabinet and the prime minister for his ‘blunder’.
“That is the only way to save his own integrity as a lawmaker and not drag anyone else with him in this issue and to prevent the matter from escalating further,” the political scientist said when asked for his reaction to the issue.
“The expression of dissatisfaction by His Majesty the King could have been presented to his council of ministers or to the PM as head of the council. But then again, the King can do it in any way he so chooses as he is the King.”
Socio-political analyst Assoc Prof Dr Awang Azman Awang Pawi, who is from the Academy of Malay Studies at Universiti Malaya, also said that Takiyuddin’s resignation would be timely.
“It is timely for the de facto law minister to resign because his action had angered the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and for the uproar in Parliament over such a big mistake,” he said.
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah yesterday said he was “deeply saddened” by Takiyuddin’s assertion in Parliament on July 26, that the Emergency Ordinances have been revoked.
The Agong also said the minister’s remarks had confused Parliament, and that the announcement was “not accurate”.
The revelation sparked an uproar in Parliament with calls for Takiyuddin as well as Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to resign.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), in a statement later, maintained that Muhyiddin and Takiyuddin had observed and followed all the due processes under the Federal Constitution when announcing the revocation of the Emergency ordinances.
Both Jayum and Awang Azman opined that Muhyiddin now had to convince the King that he still has the majority in Parliament in order for him to serve as PM.