‘Emergency ordinances bear debating so long as royal consent to revocation not granted’

KUALA LUMPUR – The emergency ordinances declared upon the consent of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah should be tabled and debated in the Dewan Rakyat, as long as His Majesty has not consented to them being revoked, said an academician.

Malay Rulers chair at Universiti Teknologi Mara Professor Shamrahayu Abdul Aziz said this was enshrined in Article 150, Clause 3 of the federal constitution.

“If the king has not consented for the ordinances to be revoked, they can be scrutinised when Parliament convenes. The best way is to debate the matter, which I feel will be able to resolve the predicament faced now.

“Besides that, a debate will also mean democracy is enriched, and if the legal provisions are followed, it will show more transparency on the part of the government,” she said on the Ruang Bicara television programme last night discussing the topic “Emergency Ordinance Subplot”.

Shamrahayu said Parliament still needs to scrutinise and debate matters concerning the emergency ordinances, despite them being scheduled to expire on August 1. 

If this is not done, she said, Article 150 Clause 7 allows the emergency ordinances to continue for another six months after the expiry date. 

Meanwhile, Shamrahayu said the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s reproach through a statement issued by Istana Negara yesterday should be taken as a lesson for all parties that the principle of the constitutional monarch is now taking on a new dimension.

According to her, developments of late show the king being seen as able to advise, warn, and voice his views to the government.

In Istana Negara’s statement earlier yesterday, Sultan Abdullah expressed utmost disappointment with the statement made in Parliament last Monday that the government had revoked all emergency ordinances under the ongoing emergency without His Majesty’s consent.

Sultan Abdullah was also very disappointed that His Majesty’s decree to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan and Attorney-General Tan Sri Idrus Harun for the proposed revocation of all the ordinances to be tabled and debated in Parliament had not been carried out. – Bernama, July 30, 2021