Malay rulers may meet next week to discuss Emergency ordinances imbroglio

Malay rulers may meet next week to discuss Emergency ordinances imbroglio

The Malay rulers could once again convene at Istana Negara as early as next week, following the revocation of the Emergency ordinances that has resulted in a constitutional crisis.

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, who turned 62 on Friday, is known to uphold the spirit of syura (consultation) and would most likely want to brief his brother Rulers about the impasse that had shocked Malaysia and left the Parliament hanging, last week.

In fact, the Monday’s Dewan Rakyat special sitting has been postponed.

The meeting could also possibly discuss the royal institution’s stand over the matter.

Al-Sultan Abdullah had repeatedly consulted the Malay rulers in the past. Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had wanted to call for a state of emergency last October, but the Agong did not agree to it, following his meeting with the other Rulers.

In January, Muhyiddin had once again asked that a state of Emergency be declared due to the spike in Covid-19 cases. The Rulers were again consulted over the matter, and this time, the Agong assented to it.

On June 4, Twentytwo13 reported that the Malay rulers could meet to discuss the state of affairs in the country. On June 16, a meeting was held between the Agong and the Malay rulers in Kuala Lumpur.

Following that meeting, Al-Sultan Abdullah decreed that the Dewan Rakyat be opened to discuss and debate the Emergency ordinances. It was the third time the Agong had called for Parliament to reconvene, since February.

The Malay rulers echoed the Agong’s call, as they too, issued a similar decree on June 16.

Last Sunday, Twentytwo13 revealed attempts were being made to get the Agong to backdate the signing of the revocation.

On Monday, Law Minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan announced in the Dewan Rakyat that the Emergency ordinances, enforced during the Emergency period, had been revoked by the government, on July 21.

MPs had demanded the government prove that the Agong had consented to the revocation, but were repeatedly told by Takiyuddin that he would only explain the matter on Aug 2.

In an unprecedented move, the Agong expressed his disappointment on Thursday, and confirmed that he did not consent to the revocation of the Emergency ordinances.

The Agong, via a statement from Istana Negara, felt the request by the government to revoke the Emergency ordinances was carried out hastily, without first tabling it in Parliament, and that the “confusing and contradicting statement in Parliament disrespects the principles of the rule of law and goes against His Majesty’s functions and power as the head of state”.

This caused an uproar in Parliament.

Hours after Istana Negara’s statement, the Prime Minister’s Office said that it was of the view that all actions taken with regard to the revocation were in order and consistent with the laws and the Federal Constitution.

The PMO’s statement became a topic of discussion. Some believed it lacked humility and seemed to belittle the role of the Agong through its own interpretation of the Federal Constitution.

Calls for the resignation of Muhyiddin, Takiyuddin, Attorney-General Tan Sri Idrus Harun and his brother, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun, intensified in the following days.

Hundreds of protestors, mostly youths, gathered near Dataran Merdeka earlier today, as they chanted “Kerajaan gagal” (failed government) and called for Muhyiddin’s resignation. No untoward incidents were reported.

China Plays National Security Card – Here’s Why Beijing Cracks Down Its Own U.S.-Listed Chinese Companies

China Plays National Security Card – Here’s Why Beijing Cracks Down Its Own U.S.-Listed Chinese Companies

When President Donald Trump signed a law in December 2020 that would kick Chinese companies off U.S. stock exchanges, unless they play ball and obediently comply with American auditing standards such as the Sarbanes Oxley Act (SOX), it was actually a political motivated move. It was an additional weapon, on top of the tariff, to threaten Beijing.



While it may sound like a good idea to provide greater transparency to American investors, the fact that Chinese companies were allowed to be listed on the U.S. stock market in the first place proves that the U.S. securities regulator has already done sufficient checking and inspection. However, Trump wasn’t happy that he had failed to bring Beijing to its knees during the U.S.-China trade war.



It was clearly anti-Chinese moves when the State Department revealed more than 1,100 Chinese subsidiaries that Trump said his administration has banned in January 2021 under the pretext that those companies have ties to China’s military. Using executive order, the U.S. president said American investors were banned from investing in those Chinese companies.



The law – “The Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act” – prohibits securities of foreign companies from being listed on any U.S. stock exchange if they have failed to comply with the U.S. Public Accounting Oversight Board’s audits for three years in a row. The act also requires public companies to disclose whether they are owned or controlled by a foreign government.



It was a move to systematically target all the Chinese companies after technology giants like Huawei, Hikvision, China Telecom and China Mobil were cracked down earlier using the popular excuse – a threat to the national security. Heck, even Chinese-developed apps like the hugely successful TikTok and WeChat were banned, only to be thrown out by the U.S. courts.



For more than 2 decades, hundreds of Chinese companies have flocked to the U.S. stock market. The crackdown would mean about 400 U.S.-listed Chinese companies may soon delist from the U.S. stock exchange, wiping a jaw-dropping US$2 trillion in market value. Trump, and his successor, Joe Biden, thought the move to weaponize capital markets could cripple China.



However, doing so would also make it harder for U.S. firms to win business in Asia that involves managing Chinese assets. American asset management will also find it difficult to tap Chinese investors. American investors will be the biggest loser as they are restricted from investing in companies from the world’s second biggest economy like Alibaba, Pinduoduo and PetroChina.



More importantly, Chinese companies aren’t that reliant on U.S. investors for capital. While a listing in the U.S. stock market will enrich the founders and backers, who comprise American investors, Beijing actually does not benefit from such exercise. Erasing US$2 trillion off from the American stock exchange will not make China any poorer.



A fast learner, China has quickly learned how to use Trump’s weapon – tariff – on not only American products, but also in punishing Australia. China’s trade surplus with the U.S., which Trump tried to reduce, remained near historic highs at US$32.58 billion in June. In fact, China exported US$252.86 billion worth of goods to the U.S. in the first half of 2021, compared to only US$87.94 billion in import.



Now, Beijing has also learned the benefits of shutting down its own Chinese companies from the U.S. stock market, thanks to Trump and Biden. Stock markets in mainland China and Hong Kong have experienced heavy selling as Beijing continues its stunning crackdown on Chinese technology stocks as well as local companies listed overseas.



Social-media giant Tencent, for example, has seen its market value plunged to US$544 billion, losing about US$390 billion since its peak in mid-February. Share prices of Hong Kong-listed Alibaba, Meituan and even New Oriental Education and Technology Group have been dropping like a rock. Wall Street big boys are also affected as China said it would tighten rules for companies listed overseas.



Yes, Trump and Biden do not have to worry about closing down the Chinese companies suspected of threatening the U.S. national security, because Beijing is doing them the favour by clamping them down before they could even get listed in America. Didi Global Inc.’s decision to push ahead with its listing on the New York Stock Exchange despite objections from Chinese regulators has offended Beijing.



Didi, the Chinese ride-hailing giant valued at US$62 billion following an August fundraising round, is being investigated by China’s market regulator – State Administration for Market Regulation – over practices of unfairly pushing out smaller competitors in an antitrust probe. Trading at US$7.54 today, it has lost almost 50% of its IPO (initial public offering) price of US$14 a share.




The main underwriters of Didi’s offering – Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase – were all affected as the American IPO bankers scrambled to understand the Beijing’s latest move. Didi’s latest screw-up means any Chinese company that was planning for a U.S. listing will have no choice but to postpone or scrap it entirely.



Inspired by Donald Trump, Beijing has announced on July 10 that all local businesses trying to go public in another country will require approval from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), a newly empowered cybersecurity regulator. Didi was raided by CAC, along with officials from at least seven departments over privacy and data security matters.



Not only the CAC spoiled Didi’s party with an investigation just 48 hours after its IPO in the U.S., but the Chinese regulator also ordered Didi’s mobile app to be pulled from app stores in China, halting new customers from joining the service of the ride-hailing giant. The CAC accuses that Didi was illegally collecting and using personal data, causing its stock price to collapse.



Playing the national security card, China justified that the U.S. government could use audit documents that Didi was required to disclose as a U.S.-listed company to gain access to data on Chinese citizens. As far as Chinese President Xi Jinping is concerned, Chinese companies should put their nation ahead of business interests as the relation between the U.S. and China deteriorates.



Chinese companies have raised more than US$100 billion from U.S. IPOs since 2012, but those money mean very little to Beijing, who has US$3.222 trillion of foreign reserves as of May this year. China can live without a single local company tapping into foreign capital in the Wall Street, but the same cannot be said about American investors trying for a piece of the Chinese market.



The Chinese securities regulators have been resisting demands of disclosure of audit papers from foreign countries, especially the United States. That’s because Chinese companies’ audit information may involve the confidentiality of “data and information” in China. For two decades, the country has closed one eye over a loophole that enables Chinese companies to go public.



Companies like Alibaba that managed to list in the U.S. used a loophole known as Variable Interest Entities (VIEs), which allowed it to bypass Chinese rules restricting foreign investment in highly sensitive industries such as media and telecommunications. Using the VIE, a Chinese company sets up an offshore company for overseas IPO purposes that allows foreign investors to buy its stock.



But thanks to Trump’s trade and tech war with China, only made worse by Biden, the U.S. securities regulators are demanding access to confidential data and information through a so-called audit of Chinese companies. Taking a page from Trump’s playbook, Beijing now wants to plug the loophole and will do anything to stop the U.S. from threatening China’s national security.



Beijing’s moves to crack down on listings by its companies on U.S. markets are also a clever strategy to redirect a major portion of the IPO flow to Hong Kong. China wants to have a better control of local companies, and the best way to do that is to drive them to local markets such as the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, instead of the NYSE where they have zero control.



Foreign investors who are hungry for a piece of Chinese action will have little choice but to go to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Imagine the US$2 trillion market capitalization from 400 U.S.-listed Chinese companies could be transferred back to Hong Kong. While Chinese companies with the VIE structure have been largely barred from mainland exchanges, Hong Kong allows them.



So far this year, 41 Chinese companies have raised US$29.4 billion in Hong Kong compared with US$14.9 billion in the same period in 2020. U.S.-listed Chinese companies including Alibaba, JD.com and Baidu have also raised more than US$37 billion since late 2019 via new listings in Hong Kong amid escalating trade war between the U.S. and China.



The endgame was to create an environment which would enable Chinese technology companies to list at home without jeopardizing national security, and be less reliant on the U.S. capital. China cannot constantly be at the mercy of the U.S. as President Joe Biden, like his predecessor, Donald Trump, has openly declared that China is the enemy of the United States.

The four faces of Muhyiddin Yassin

The four faces of Muhyiddin Yassin

by Mariam Mokhtar

COMMENT | Saviour, gambler, Machiavelli or coward? Which one represents the real Muhyiddin Yassin?

Does the prime minister stand for anything? Apart from his very strong pro-Malay stance, what are his real political beliefs? Does anyone know? Does he?

Trying to figure out Muhyiddin is like prising open a durian from an unknown source. You wonder if you will discover the creamy golden flesh of a good pedigree, or find pale, insipid looking fruit that is crawling with maggots.

We know now. Eighteen months after seizing power, Muhyiddin's tenure is riddled with confusion, contradiction and incompetence. He is a poor judge of character and surrounds himself with deadwood, has-beens and incompetents.

How does one trust a person who cannot bring himself to use the name that he was born with, which is Mahiaddin Md Yasin? We have only known him by his alias, during his five decades in politics. So why did he use the variant, Muhyiddin?

When an observant and clever lawyer, acting for a Sabahan who was alleged to have trafficked drugs, found the technical flaw, the High Court had no alternative but to free the man. Muhyiddin, who was then the home minister, had signed the Sabahan's detention order, for two years, using his alias.

Many Malaysians are very accepting and complacent. Their reaction was probably a "So what? Just revert to the original name-bah."

Do they not realise the serious consequences of using an alias on official documents? More shocking to me is that lawyers and politicians failed to seize on this alias scandal and make more capital of it.



Are the contracts, policies or laws, which Muhyiddin signed off using his alias, legitimate? If he had approved hundreds of millions of ringgits for a project, what will happen when, years later, the project fails and the rakyat demands accountability.

Can he turn round and say, "Nothing to do with me. It's not my signature and name on the official piece of paper." Wasn't Muhyiddin the agriculture minister who approved the scandalous National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) theft of public funds? There has been no traction with that scandal.

To make the rakyat understand the gravity of the situation, imagine what will happen if wills or marriage certificates are signed with an alias. A man who leaves his wife and decides not to pay her and their children maintenance may claim that the person named on the marriage certificate is not him. An aggrieved person may contest a will if an alias had been used.

Is Muhyidddin a saviour? In March 2020, when he faced the public as the head of the coalition Perikatan Nasional (PN), he claimed that he seized power to "save" Malaysia.

A year-and-a-half later, Malaysians are demanding his resignation, because he has left the country in a mess. Politically. Socially. Economically. Environmentally. His inept handling of the coronavirus pandemic and his rudderless government have affected the mental health of many Malaysians and caused many suicides and many orphans. He has left a trail of destruction. Muhyiddin is no saviour.

He surrounds himself with sycophants and yes-men, all of whom are busy plotting their political futures. Muhyiddin ignores our suffering.

The coronavirus is an invisible enemy, but we know that with the vaccine, social distancing and good hygiene practices, the spread of the disease can be controlled.



PN is the enemy that we can see. We thought that Umno-Baru was finally emasculated at GE-14. Few were aware that PN, the Delta variant of Umno-Baru, could prove to be more lethal than the original Umno-Baru and coronavirus.

Muhyiddin's Machiavellian tactics are not about saving Malaysia. They are to save himself by deceit, unscrupulous methods, lies and a lack of moral values to stay in power.

A month earlier, he had already tried to buy more time, to plot his future moves, especially as the rakyat's anger was spilling over and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had been forced to rein in Muhyiddin.

In a highly publicised media stunt, Muhyiddin claimed that he was ill. No one who is that ill has cameras rolling and photos showing how dedicated to duty he is, such as by chairing a National Security Council (NSC) meeting from his hospital bed.

On the day of the first sitting of Parliament after the Emergency, Muhyiddin slid away like a fat slug and left the inept finance minister in charge. Only a coward would leave a junior aide to face the wrath of the MPs in Parliament.

There were doubts about the vaccines being administered when photos and questions over empty syringes emerged on social media. There is anger over the slow vaccination programme.

The people are powerless when told that there is a lack of medical help and facilities. There is fury over the treatment of doctors. There is outrage at the double standards used to punish ministers and celebrities who break the coronavirus SOP. People who criticise Muhyiddin and his administration face arrest and are charged in court.

We, the people, feel betrayed. Malaysia needs a strong leader to take charge and there should be no dithering and dilly-dallying between the Palace and Parliament. The key figures simply react to stimuli. They are not proactive.

Now is the time for the Opposition to shine and make its presence felt. We need a leader who is not afraid of making the hard decisions for the rakyat and country. One who has not proven himself to have been a failure, a prima-donna or corrupt.


MARIAM MOKHTAR is a defender of the truth, the admiral-general of the Green Bean Army and president of the Perak Liberation Organisation (PLO). Blog, Twitter.

Nothing can stop MPs from coming to Parliament on Monday, Harapan says

Nothing can stop MPs from coming to Parliament on Monday, Harapan says

Pakatan Harapan has indicated that its MPs may still head to Parliament on Monday despite the sitting being postponed to a different day.

In a statement released just before news broke that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had postponed Monday's sitting - the Harapan presidential council said nothing could stop MPs from fulfilling their duties.

"No matter what happens, MPs can't be stopped from attending Parliament on Monday to fulfil their duties and responsibilities to the people and country, and fulfil our oaths to defend the Federal Constitution," the statement read.

It was signed by PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

The statement, which predicted that Muhyiddin would use Covid-19 as an excuse to shut down Parliament, also rejected such a move.

They said the 11 cases of Covid-19 detected on Thursday only amounted to a 0.9 percent test positivity rate - far below the World Health Organisation's five percent threshold.

"This means there was no significant amount of Covid-19 cases at Parliament last week.

"If Parliament is closed because of a (test positivity) rate of below one percent, then its possible Parliament may not convene again as the fact is Covid-19 has become endemic not just in Malaysia, but the whole world," they said.

The Harapan presidential council said Covid-19 hence should not be used as an excuse to postpone Parliament sittings.

They also warned Muhyiddin against using government ministries and agencies, including Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, to justify closing Parliament.

A letter informing MPs of Parliament being postponed said the move was in line with advice from Noor Hisham and that the Health Ministry had found Parliament to be a Covid-19 risk locality.

The postponement comes amid what critics claim to be a constitutional crisis between the federal government and the monarchy.

On Thursday, the Yang Di Pertuan Agong gave the government a royal rebuke, accusing de facto law minister Takiyuddin Hassan of misleading the Dewan Rakyat by saying that emergency ordinances had been revoked - despite not receiving royal consent.

The Prime Minister's Office, in response, defended its decisions saying they had acted within the Federal Constitution which also stated that the king must follow the cabinet's advice.

Anwar wants to move a motion of no-confidence against Muhyiddin following the debacle while there are also motions to censure Takiyuddin.

Two sweet Yeoh's from DAP but Mafulat likes only one

Wakakaka.

It's most interesting that an Old Man recommends for his proposed Mageran a woman from DAP, who is:

Hannah Yeoh rather than Yeo Bee Yin

From my post (21 April 2021) M wanted to sack Yeo Bee Yin over Lynas:

On Aug 15, 2019, the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB), an agency under then energy, science, technology, environment and climate change minister Yeo Bee Yin, announced new and significant conditions for Lynas' operating licence.

Among others, the conditions required Lynas to shift its cracking and leaching facility back to Australia within four years.



It was the same process that had led to a build-up of radioactive waste at Lynas' rare earth processing plant in Gebeng, Kuantan.

The AELB also instructed Lynas to terminate its ambitions to commercialise the waste, which the firm argued is low in radiation, into fertiliser dubbed "Condisoil".

Lynas also had to build a permanent deposit facility (PDF) to store the waste that had already been produced since 2012 and will continue to produce until 2023, when the cracking and leaching process is finally moved to Australia.

All this happened on a Thursday. By the following Wednesday when the cabinet meeting convened, Mahathir wanted to sack Yeo.

"At the Wednesday cabinet meeting on Aug 21, 2019, Mahathir said that he wanted to make a minor change to the cabinet portfolios.

"The news leaked and we were anxious," Liew said in the book titled Lim Kit Siang: Patriot. Leader. Fighter.



Liew said he later found out from then finance minister Lim Guan Eng, who was also the DAP secretary-general, about what had transpired.

"I left the building (prime minister's office) as the leaders went into the prime minister's room, only to find out from Guan Eng when we met with Kit Siang later that Mahathir wanted to remove Yeo over her defiance on Lynas and other environmental issues.

"The leaders later managed to dissuade Mahathir from executing his plan. Bee Yin stayed on," Liew wrote.

Yeo's office has yet to respond to a request for comment.

High expectations

Liew did not elaborate on the specifics of what had upset Mahathir.

More than two months after the episode, Mahathir met with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the 35th Asean Summit in Bangkok.

Following the meeting, Mahathir said Morrison spent a good amount of time asking that the conditions imposed on Lynas be dropped.



Former deputy defence minister Liew Chin Tong

The conditions were ultimately retained but they still fell short of a full closure of Lynas' facility in Kuantan.

Liew acknowledged that as the DAP had campaigned against the project since 2012, there was a hardcore base that had expected a swift closure of the plant.

Regardless of whether Lynas was closed or not, its radioactive waste accumulated since 2012 at Gebeng, Kuantan, would still have to be dealt with.

In February, Malaysiakini reported that Lynas was planning to store the waste in a water catchment area in Bukit Ketam, Kuantan, despite the firm initially denying that it was a water catchment area.

The PDF was part of a wider integrated waste disposal facility with involvement from the Pahang royalty.

Pahang Regent Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah relinquished his direct shareholding in the project following Malaysiakini's report.

As expected, PM postpones Monday’s Parliament sitting because of Covid-19 cases detected within Parliament

MM Online:

Monday’s Parliament sitting postponed following PM’s instruction on Dr Noor Hisham’s advice

Members of Malaysia’s parliament attend a session of the lower house of parliament, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia July 26, 2021. — Malaysia Information Department/Nazri Rapaai handout pic via Reuters

KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 — The final date of the special parliamentary sitting slated on Monday will be postponed to a later date following the instruction of the prime minister, MPs have confirmed.

The MPs today received a copy of an email from the Dewan Rakyat Secretary-General Nizam Mydin Bacha Mydin announcing the matter, saying he was instructed by Deputy Speaker Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon to announce the matter.

“Yang di-Pertua Dewan Rakyat office has been informed by the honourable prime minister that the special sitting for the third term of 14th Parliament this Monday has been postponed to another date that will be determined soon.

“This notification is made by the honourable prime minister in accordance with standing order 11(3) of the Dewan Rakyat,” he said in the letter sighted by Malay Mail.

Nizam Mydin added that the postponement is in line with the suggestion from the current risk assessment that has been done by the Ministry of Health after the newest development on the Covid-19 infection in Parliament.

The Parliament special sitting has been adjourned for the fourth time on Thursday until 5.15pm, hours after an uproar due to a statement by Istana Negara informing the Agong’s displeasure of the government.

The latest postponement was also made after the Parliament office was informed by Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah that there have been two new Covid-19 positive cases detected within the Parliament compound.

Earlier that day, Istana Negara released a statement from Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah in which he said he had not given the royal assent that was constitutionally required to revoke the Emergency Ordinances.

The Agong said Law Minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan’s announcement in Parliament was consequently premature and inaccurate.

The Prime Minister’s Office later defended the decision, saying the government had followed the Federal Constitution in its action.

***





Covid-19 to derail next Monday's Dewan Rakyat sitting?

Following the drama over the past four days, anticipation is high for the fifth and final day of the special Dewan Rakyat sitting which is scheduled for next Monday. However, it is uncertain if the sitting would proceed as planned.

One source close to Putrajaya told Malaysiakini that the special sitting could be cut short due to Covid-19 cases among lawmakers.

According to another source, the cabinet would wait for the Health Ministry's report on the outbreak in Parliament before making a decision.

At present, a source familiar with Parliament affairs said there is no instruction to stop the sitting.

Earlier today, Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah revealed that 11 individuals were confirmed positive for the virus after all MPs and Parliament staff were screened over the past week.

Under normal circumstances, Parliament rules dictate that to adjourn a sitting, a member of the House must move a motion.

This would be seconded and put to a vote. A quorum of 26 MPs is required for this process.

However, there is a special provision known as Standing Order 100, which allows the speaker to decide on matters not explicitly covered by the rules - such as a virus outbreak.

According to the Dewan Rakyat order paper, the only agenda left for the special sitting is for Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz to be quizzed by the MPs and for Deputy Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to brief the House on the proclamation of emergency.

On July 27, speaker Azhar Azizan Harun also made a ruling that de facto Law Minister Takiyuddin Hassan is to brief the House on the revocation of the emergency ordinances.

Yesterday, the Prime Minister's Office partly completed the task for Takiyuddin.

It was established that on July 27, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong was advised by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin during an audience to revoke the ordinances.

The Agong, in a statement from the palace, expressed disappointment that Takiyuddin and Attorney-General Idris Harun failed to fulfil their promise to the Agong to have the matter debated in Parliament.

Should Parliament not be allowed to continue with the special sitting, the move would rile up Perikatan Nasional's critics who are arguing that the prime minister had committed derhaka (treason).

This was because the Agong specifically decreed for Putrajaya to ensure the ordinances are debated and annulled through Parliament.

Putrajaya argued that the law does not require them to do so and that the Agong was legally bound to act on the advice of the cabinet.

If the sitting on Monday is indeed put off, then the MPs would have to wait until the next scheduled sitting of Parliament to begin on Sept 6 to grill the government.

It would also mean that opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's motion for a no-confidence vote against the prime minister would hit a brick wall.

Anwar had accused the government of attempting to obstruct the sitting and described the Covid-19 lockdown yesterday as a ruse.

The September sitting would be the first official sitting of the year and would commence with the Agong's royal address.

Malaysia Up Pandemic Shit Creek

MM Online:

Health Ministry: Malaysia’s daily Covid-19 cases near 18,000 mark today

KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 — Malaysia saw a new all-time high for the most Covid-19 daily infections in 24 hours, with the Health Ministry recording 17,786 cases today.

Its director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said this brings the total number of confirmed infections in the country to 1,113,272 since the start of the pandemic.

The previous record was set on Thursday (July 29) at 17,405 cases.

“Selangor remains the state or Federal Territory with the highest number of infections at 6,400 cases today for a cumulative total of 407,419, followed by Kedah with 1,389 cases today and a total of 45,631, and KL Federal Territory with 1,962 cases today and a total of 123,027,” he said on Twitter.

The state or Federal Territory with the lowest number of Covid-19 infections today is the Federal Territory of Labuan with nine cases today for a cumulative total of 9,661, followed by Perlis with 16 cases today for a total of 704, and Putrajaya with 116 cases today for a total of 3,951.

Perikatan wants to hold federal powers at all costs, Najib alleges

Perikatan wants to hold federal powers at all costs, Najib alleges



FORMER Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak opined that the Government was adamant on holding on to power, which resulted in them annulling the Emergency Proclamation 10 days before the Parliament reconvened.

“If the Emergency succeeded on containing COVID-19, why the hurry to revoke the ordinances 10 days earlier, when cases breached the 17,000 mark with 200 deaths a day?

“Why create a controversy and constitutional crisis? The reason is because they want to stop any voting at Parliament out of fear that they may not have the majority anymore,” he said in a Facebook post.



Two days ago, Istana Negara offered a rare rebuke against the Government, calling the latter out for issuing a misleading statement at the Parliament over the six Emergency Ordinances (EO) enacted during the Emergency.

While Law Minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan told MPs that the EOs have been revoked on July 21, he offered no explanation whether the Agong had consented to it despite pressure from the Opposition.

However, the Agong later chided Takiyuddin, adding he had yet to consent to it and asserted that the application to revoke the EOs was “hastily made without presenting it in Parliament”.

“The contradictory and misleading statement in Parliament not only failed to respect the principle of the rule of law in the Rukun Negara, but also “disregarded His Majesty’s functions and powers as the head of state, as enshrined in the Federal Constitution,” Istana Negara said in a statement.

On that note, Najib said that if the Government has lost its majority, it means the administration has been “crippled” and would not be able to pass any laws in the future.

He added that it was worrisome as the Government would not be able to even pass the upcoming budget, as the administration was afraid to allow any Parliamentary vote.

“I guess Perikatan is willing to be a dysfunctional Government as long as they can retain power. Being crippled, a failure and disrespectful to the monarchy no longer matter,” the Pekan MP retorted. – July 31, 2021

Fake News on Anwar’s audience with Agong

Palace denies Anwar’s audience with Agong today



PETALING JAYA: Istana Negara has denied rumours of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim being granted an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong this afternoon.

Comptroller of the Royal Household Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin told FMT that it was “fake news”.

PKR is also expected to issue a statement on the matter shortly.

It was previously reported that sources had said Anwar would be meeting the King at Istana Abdulaziz, Indera Mahkota in Pahang at 2.30pm today.

This comes after the King revealed that he had not consented to the revocation of the Emergency Ordinances (EOs), which was announced by law minister Takiyuddin Hassan in Parliament on Monday.

The Prime Minister’s Office has since defended its move to revoke the EOs, saying it was done according to the law.

Anwar to meet Agong at 2.30pm

Anwar to meet Agong at 2.30pm - PKR sources

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim is expected to meet the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah today.

Multiple PKR sources told Malaysiakini that the ruler has granted the Port Dickson MP an audience at 2.30pm.

The meeting is expected to take place at Istana Abdulaziz in Kuantan, Pahang.

PKR information chief Fahmi Fadzil, however, said he had no information on the matter.

This comes amid a brewing constitutional crisis between the ruler and the Perikatan Nasional government.

The Agong on Thursday (July 29), through Istana Negara, publicly reprimanded the government for allegedly misleading Parliament and acting unconstitutionally.

This was after the federal government revoked the emergency ordinances without the ruler's assent.

The ruler had wanted the emergency ordinances to be debated in Parliament but the government refused.

The government is seen to be reluctant to allow any vote in Parliament due to its uncertain majority.

The emergency ordinances can be removed either by revocation by the government with the ruler's assent or be annulled in Parliament.

The administration has insisted that the Agong must comply with its advice to revoke the emergency ordinances.

Ku Li wants cabinet to resign after ‘unforgivable lie’ on ordinances

Ku Li wants cabinet to resign after ‘unforgivable lie’ on ordinances

Umno MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has condemned the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government for “lying” about having revoked the emergency ordinances and urged it to resign.

He called for the ongoing special Dewan Rakyat sitting to be extended beyond the original five days to allow MPs like himself to debate and vote on the ordinances.

This, he said, was in line with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s wishes on the matter.

“Tuanku is of the view that we (MPs) should discuss this matter as soon as possible and determine whether they should be passed or annulled.

“Therefore, it is best if this is done over, and this ongoing parliament sitting is extended so that MPs have a chance to voice the rakyat’s opinion about what is good or bad about the ordinances that are in force now,” he said last night in a press conference that was broadcasted on Facebook.

The veteran Gua Musang lawmaker regretted how PN had upset the Agong.

“Not only was this an unforgivable lie, this was also contempt on part of the government. I think this has angered the Agong,” said Razaleigh, who is a Kelantan prince.

Razaleigh argued that the power to revoke the emergency ordinances did not rest with the cabinet, but with the Agong. However, this was only when the Dewan Rakyat was not in session.

“But Parliament is sitting now. So let’s allow MPs and Dewan Negara senators to discuss, debate and decide whether they should be annulled. This is not up to the cabinet,” he stressed.

Constitutional crisis

On Monday, de facto Law Minister Takiyuddin Hassan sprang a surprise on the Dewan Rakyat when he claimed that cabinet had revoked all emergency ordinances five days prior.

Three days later, Istana Negara said the Agong had yet to assent to any revocation and was “very disappointed” that the minister had “misled” the august House.

The Agong was also upset that Takiyuddin and attorney-general Idrus Harun failed to uphold their promise to have the ordinances tabled and debated in Parliament.

In response, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) maintained that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had already advised the Agong to revoke the ordinances and His Majesty was constitutionally bound to act on such advice.

Some have commented that Malaysia is presently facing a constitutional crisis.

Let Agong decide on new govt

Razaleigh opined that Muhyiddin and his cabinet ought to step down over the conundrum.

He also proposed allowing the Agong to decide the next government.

“To me, not only should the law minister take responsibility for this, but the entire cabinet as well.

“Since there is no certainty from the government, I propose that with Istana Negara’s statement, the PM and his ministers should resign and step down from governing the country. And hand the power back to the Agong.

“By removing these barriers, let us allow the Agong to decide the future of the country. Maybe the economic situation will improve and maybe there will be new strategies to end the Covid-19 pandemic which has threatened the rakyat’s safety.”

Azhar recuses himself from deciding on ‘treason’ motion as AG is his brother

Azhar recuses himself from deciding on ‘treason’ motion as AG is his brother

Azhar Azizan Harun said he will distance himself from any decision made with regard to the notion as it involves his brother, Idrus Harun.

PETALING JAYA: Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun has announced he will abstain from deciding on a motion involving Attorney-General Idrus Harun, who is his elder brother.

Azhar said he was distancing himself from the motion in view of the family ties.

“Therefore, I have decided to exclude myself from making any decision with regard to the motion,” he said in a statement.

He added that any decision on the motion will be left to the discretion of deputy speakers Mohd Rashid Hasnon and Azalina Othman Said, according to their seniority.

“I will not interfere in any way in the deputy speakers’ duties in this matter.”

Azalina confirmed with FMT that she had received the memo from the speaker but declined to comment further.

The motion, submitted on July 29 by the Ipoh Barat MP M Kula Segaran, seeks to censure Idrus and de facto law minister Takiyuddin Hassan for allegedly misleading Parliament that the emergency ordinances had been revoked.

In response to the announcement on Monday, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had expressed “deep disappointment”, stating that he had never consented to the revocation.

The ruler had also expressed disappointment that Takiyuddin and Idrus had failed to abide by his request for the emergency ordinances to be debated in Parliament.

The motion by Kula described this as treasonous (“derhaka”) and called for both of them to be censured.

Azhar, Takiyuddin to resign? But don't forget to include AG Idrus Harun

Azhar, Takiyuddin to resign?

Azhar Azizan Harun and Takiyuddin Hassan have been in the eye of the storm since the controversy erupted.

PETALING JAYA: Dewan Rakyat speaker Azhar Azizan Harun and law minister Takiyuddin Hassan are set to resign, a source in the know has claimed.

Speaking to FMT on condition of anonymity, the source said other top leaders are also expected to resign after the controversy over the revocation of the emergency ordinances, which was done without the King’s assent.

“This is what we have been informed so far, things are fluid,” said the source.

FMT is trying to reach Azhar and Takiyuddin.

Calls for Takiyuddin and Azhar to resign were sparked following revelations that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had not consented to the revocation of the emergency ordinances (EOs).

On Monday, Takiyuddin said the EOs had been revoked on July 21, leading to MPs questioning if the King had given consent for the revocation.

For the past four days, MPs have unsuccessfully tried to press Takiyuddin for an answer, but he said the matter would be explained next Monday, as decided by Azhar.

When MPs questioned Azhar about it, he stuck to his guns on allowing Takiyuddin to explain on Monday.

However, Istana Negara’s statement revealing that no such consent had been given sparked chaos in the house with shouts of “derhaka” and calls for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, Takiyuddin and Azhar to resign.

***

kt notes:

The person who should be the first to resign is Idrus Harun (Art Harun's brother), as he's not only the nation's No 1 Law Officer, but was one of those who personally heard the royal instructions directly from HM the Agong.

US marines accused of sexually assaulting Australian women while stationed in the Northern Territory, & Australian Defence Force alleged to close one-eye

SBS:

US marines accused of sexually assaulting women while stationed in the Northern Territory

Source: SBS News/AAP

EXCLUSIVE: Documents obtained by SBS News have revealed several allegations of sexual assault made against US marines serving in Australia, with investigations into them being shifted overseas or dropped. Some survivors also say they felt discouraged by the Australian Defence Force from following through on their complaints.

One woman woke to find a US marine assaulting her in her bed, another was taken to hospital after having her drink spiked at a military barracks, and a third believed a US marine grabbed her and tried to sexually assault her at a bar. All the incidents took place in Australia’s Northern Territory, but the investigations into them were either handed over to US authorities, stalled, or dropped.

SBS News has obtained a series of reports between 2015 and 2021 from the Australian Defence Force Investigative Service (ADFIS) under freedom of information laws. They detail six alleged assaults or indecent acts involving US military personnel whilst on rotation in Australia, including members of the Marine Rotational Force - Darwin, a contingent of up to 2,200 personnel regularly based in the Northern Territory since 2011.

Assault case handed over to the US

In one incident, a female member of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) said she woke to find a male US marine sexually assaulting her in her bed. She had been socialising at her home in Darwin that evening with two marines she had met through work.

The woman “had gone to bed alone, but was awoken to one of the marines indecently assaulting her in her bed,” the ADFIS report states.

She called a friend in the ADF to remove the men from her home.


SBS News

The incident was reported to the ADFIS, which alerted NT Police, but the woman told SBS News she was verbally discouraged from pursuing it by senior officers within the ADF. She also said she felt betrayed by what she felt was an inadequate punishment for the marine.

“It was a really serious incident and something like that absolutely destroys your trust, it has a massive impact,” she said.

As part of a pre-trial agreement, the marine was not convicted of sexual assault, and instead pleaded guilty to assault and disorderly conduct at a US marine corp trial. He was demoted, sentenced to three months of hard labour and was restricted to a US military base for two months.


The ADF has welcomed US marines for years.
AAP

In the case file, a handwritten note by a senior Australian military officer states the woman involved was “comfortable” that the investigation concluded. But SBS News has seen message trails detailing the immediate aftermath of the incident between colleagues of the woman who had knowledge of what happened. They express concern about how it was handled.

“It's hard to come back from something like this … trust has been wrecked,” one of the messages states.

"That sort of betrayal of trust affects your mental health, it has lasting effects. And it was not handled well, which adds to that stress and anguish,” reads another.

“Theres (sic) lots of anger about how this went down, its (sic) wrong,” a third states.


Members of the Marine Rotational Force are regularly based in the Northern Territory.
AAP

The documents indicate no further action was taken by the Australian military investigators or the NT Police and the incident was handled through the US Marine Corps trial. NT Police released jurisdiction to the Australian military which then released jurisdiction to the US authorities despite the crime happening in the Northern Territory and not on a military site.

An Australian officer with knowledge of the case said: “We should have had [the woman’s] back from the get-go, but we didn’t”.

“Sure they [the US military] are our allies, brothers in arms, but that doesn’t mean they should be given a different standard. This was one of our own.”

No update on drink spike case two years on

In a second case, a civilian woman visiting a friend in the ADF at Robertson Barracks in Darwin had to be taken to hospital after having her drink spiked by what was later identified as a substance commonly used in sexual assault cases in the US.

The woman was leaving the base and waiting for a lift when she “went downhill really quickly,” the ADFIS report states.


SBS News

“To a point that when her lift arrived … She had to be assisted into the car. During the drive home, the driver became increasingly worried for her welfare … so he took her straight to Palmerston Hospital.”

Her condition was so serious that she was then transferred to the larger Royal Darwin Hospital.

“The hospital had informed her that the symptoms experienced were as a result of having her drink spiked and most probably with a powerful antihistamine, mixed with an unknown substance, which is alleged to be a growing trend within the United States,” the report states.

The case was passed on to NT Police, which took charge of the investigation, to consider whether it warranted a criminal investigation “due to jurisdictional concerns”.


US marines have been welcomed to Robertson Barracks since 2011.
AAP

The woman said she was left shaken by the incident but “it was made clear that the likelihood of getting some sort of concrete outcome was very low” by both police and the ADF.

“It felt like it would be difficult to pursue a matter where the perpetrator could have already left Australia,” she said.

After close to two years, there is no update on the case according to the documents obtained by SBS News. The woman also said she has not received any new information.

Bar assault case dropped

In a third case, a woman serving in the Australian military said a man she believed was a US marine grabbed her by the neck and tried to kiss her in a Darwin bar, and also put his hand up her skirt.

“It was reported an unknown male, thought to be an American serviceman, had placed his hand up [the woman’s] skirt without her consent,” the ADFIS report states.

“Earlier that evening the male had grabbed her around her neck and attempted to kiss her, however [the woman] rejected his advances.”

The documents state the ADF’s deputy director of military prosecutions closed the case because the complainant was “unable to identify the offender and does not wish further action taken”. They state that after the woman had discussed the matter with ADFIS, “she did not wish to make a formal complaint … and does not want it to be investigated”.


SBS News

Lisa Flynn, national practice leader at Shine Lawyers in Brisbane, has dealt with hundreds of sexual assault cases, including recent ones involving the Australian military. She said the fact the first case, which happened in the woman’s home, was dealt with by US authorities and not local police was “concerning”.

“To have that crime treated differently because of who the perpetrator is rather than what happened to them and where it happened and so for that reason, I find it surprising and concerning,” she said.

“That sort of approach risks re-traumatising the victim, especially if they feel justice has been denied or stymied,” she said.

Fellow lawyer and former ADF officer Glenn Kolomeitz, who is based in New South Wales, has dealt with more than a dozen cases of mishandling of assault matters involving the ADF in the past 18 months. He said the documents uncovered by SBS News raised serious questions.


The US military says sexual assault crimes committed by its personnel is a serious concern.
AAP

“Defence has failed to properly apply its own policies in investigating or pursuing enquiries or looking after the complainant,” he said.

With regards to the second case, Mr Kolomeitz said if drink spiking had been identified on barracks it should warrant a military investigation.

“Such jurisdictional concerns do not relieve the ADF of its duty of care to its members and its duty to provide a safe working environment.”

“This is, on its face, an abrogation of the ADF's duty of care … and that abrogation is aggravated by the fact the chain of command is clearly aware of this growing trend.”

On the third case, the alleged incident at the bar, Mr Kolomeitz said an investigation into the matter should have gone ahead.

“ADF policy is that this is a notifiable incident such that it must be reported to a Defence Investigative Authority. It appears the chain of command complied with this obligation but somewhere along the way any potential investigation was stopped.”

“Just because the complainant did not know the offender does not mean the offender could not be identified. That is why we have investigative mechanisms.”

“This is, on its face, a breach of the ADF's own policies.”

‘Offenders will be held accountable’

NT Police and the Minister for Defence Peter Dutton did not respond to requests for comment.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Department of Defence said it is “committed to supporting those affected and to holding perpetrators to account,” and the ADF “expected US military personnel to not break Australian laws while serving on Australian soil”.

“In accordance with treaty-level agreements, if US service personnel commit criminal offences in Australia, this can fall under the jurisdiction of state or territory police or, where the police elect not to exercise jurisdiction, the US military authorities. Defence does not have any jurisdiction in such cases,” the spokesperson said.

They did not comment on the individual cases or the allegations some women felt discouraged from following through on their complaints by the ADF.

A US Marine Corps spokesperson said allegations of inappropriate behaviour committed by US military forces are “taken seriously and investigated by appropriate authorities”, including incidents overseas.

“The United States and Australia have robust bilateral mechanisms for the reporting, investigation and disposition of allegations of criminal misconduct by US military personnel assigned in Australia. Those that are alleged to have committed an offence will be held accountable in accordance with applicable law,” they said.

Professor Richard Tanter of US-based think tank The Nautilus Institute, who has written extensively on Australian defence policy, said he was “stunned” at the legal argument provided by the Department of Defence to not previously publicly disclose the details of the cases uncovered by SBS News because of the public interest considerations in cases involving foreign military personnel.

“Frankly, such serious matters should be fully disclosed if and when they occur. Both the Australian and American military authorities have in the past committed to trust-building in the community, but from what I can see this hasn’t happened here,” he said.

“The buck stops at the top of the Australian military.”

US marines have been based at Robertson Barracks since 2011 when the then US president Barack Obama announced a pivot to the Asia-Pacific region in order to bolster military alliances.

The US military has previously identified sexual assault crimes by personnel as a serious concern, including by US forces serving on overseas deployments.

A 2020 US Department of Defense report documented 888 reports of sexual assaults against non-service members, including 35 foreign nationals, and a further 6,290 sexual assaults within US military ranks. The report estimates as many as 20,500 sexual assault cases happened that year due to under-reporting by survivors.

Seeking solutions to a constitutional crisis – Rajan Navaratnam

theVibes.com:

Seeking solutions to a constitutional crisis – Rajan Navaratnam

The law offers options to solve ongoing impasse; one just needs to know where to look

The special Dewan Rakyat sitting that began on Monday sparked controversy on Day 1 itself. – Information Department pic, July 30, 2021

By Rajan Navaratnam

EVENTS of the past week have sparked a lot of debate and renewed interest in our constitution and parliamentary democracy.

This is unfortunate as all efforts and focus should be geared towards saving lives and repairing the economy following the devastating Covid-19 pandemic.

I have been asked by various parties, be they the media, politicians or fellow lawyers, about my take on the goings-on in Parliament since the special sitting was convened on July 26.

Like I tell everyone, I am not interested in politics. Politics is divisive and confusing.

But when there is confusion, clarity can always be sought by referring to the law.

So, let me list some of the frequent questions I have been asked in recent days.

Are the emergency ordinances still in force or have they been revoked?

The Prime Minister’s Office says that they have been revoked because the prime minister had advised the Agong to annul the emergency ordinances. According to PMO, the Agong has to act in accordance with the prime minister’s advice as stipulated under Article 40(1) of the constitution.

Article 40 of the constitution has to be read in its entirety. In this regard, Article 40(1) states that the Agong, in the exercise of his functions under the constitution or federal law, shall act in accordance with the advice of the cabinet, but in the same breath, it also states except as otherwise provided by the constitution.

In other words, where the constitution makes provisions for the Agong to act in his own discretion, His Majesty need not heed the advice of the cabinet. This is further fortified by virtue of Article 40(2), which states that the Agong may, in his discretion in the performance of his functions, appoint a prime minister or withhold consent to a request for the dissolution of Parliament.

To put it simply, the Agong may refuse to act under this provision even though advised by the cabinet to do so.

Article 150 is another provision in the constitution that gives the Agong the discretion to proclaim an emergency, and His Majesty has the power to decline such a proclamation when advised by the cabinet, as was done by His Majesty when Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin asked the rulers to declare an emergency in October last year.

This separation of power was affirmed in the Federal Court case of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim v Perdana Menteri 2010, where the apex court said Article 40(2) of the constitution divides the functions of the Agong into two categories: functions that His Majesty may exercise in his discretion, and those that the king must exercise in accordance with the ministerial advice.

So, to say that the king must, in all instances, act on the advice of the cabinet in performing his functions under the constitution, in my view, is incorrect.

Alternatively, assuming for a moment that the king must annul the ordinances when advised by the cabinet, the ordinances would remain in force as the king has yet to give his assent thereto.

The Agong turned down Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s request for a state of emergency to be declared last October. – Facebook pic, July 30, 2021

The privy council, in the case of Teh Cheng Poh v PP 1978, held through the judgment of Lord Diplock that any revocation can be done only either by resolutions passed in Parliament or by the Agong himself, and if the king fails to do so, even the courts have no power to revoke them.

There is no stipulated time frame in the constitution for the king to act, and to date, there has been no confirmation of a royal assent. So, until that royal assent is given, or Parliament revokes them, the ordinances are still in force. A mere proposal to revoke is not tantamount to the ordinances having been revoked or annulled.

Can the law minister be investigated for treason or offences under the Penal Code?

There is no law in Malaysia that criminalises offences committed against the Agong. Without any existing legal provisions, it can be said that treason is not an offence in Malaysia, and therefore, it would be impossible to bring any charges for treason.

The only provision in the Penal Code is Section 121, which provides for a person to be charged with waging war against the king or any of the rulers.

You must have a specific provision that criminalises an act, failing which, there can be no offence for those acts as enshrined under Article 7 of the constitution.

For instance, Thailand has lese-majeste laws that criminalise acts against the monarch, but we do not have such laws in Malaysia.

Additionally, Article 63(2) of the constitution states that no person shall be liable to any proceedings in any court in respect of anything said while Parliament is in session, and Article 63(5) of the constitution states that no person shall be liable to any proceedings in any court in respect of anything said by him of the Agong or a ruler when taking part in proceedings in Parliament.

Under Section 7 of the Houses of Parliament (Privileges and Powers) Act 1952, MPs enjoy immunity from civil and criminal proceedings for anything done or said in Parliament, and this includes any statements made verbally by MPs.

Should the prime minister resign?

Article 43(4) of the constitution makes it mandatory that if the prime minister ceases to command the majority of MPs, the prime minister shall resign.

Alternatively, he may seek a dissolution of Parliament, but that is subjected to the king’s discretion. So, if His Majesty refuses, the prime minister must resign, and the Agong can then appoint another MP who, in His Majesty’s view, commands the confidence of a majority of MPs, without having to dissolve Parliament.

Government chief whip and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob issued a statement asserting that the current administration still has the support of more than 110 MPs. The 222-seat Parliament has 220 living MPs. Ismail Sabri’s statement indicates that the government has more than half.

There are several ways to ascertain this: seating arrangements have shifted to show fewer MPs on the government side of the Dewan Rakyat; a vote of confidence; or, for the king to summon all MPs individually to obtain clarity on the accuracy or truth of the deputy prime minister’s statement. – The Vibes, July 30, 2021


Datuk Seri Rajan Navaratnam is a prominent senior lawyer who is also an independent counsel for The Vibes