Malaysian Opposition Urges "No Political Exploitation of COVID-19"... Prime Minister Yassin Cornered

Declaration of State of Emergency Bans Parliamentary Sessions and General Elections
Prime Minister to Remain in Office Despite Losing Majority... "Lockdown Is Enough" Criticism

Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced on the 12th that King Abdullah Sultan had approved the declaration of a nationwide state of emergency, as broadcast on a TV screen. Kuala Lumpur=Photo by Xinhua·Yonhap

[Asia Economy Kuala Lumpur Correspondent Hong Seong-ah] As the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) shows no signs of slowing down, Malaysia has declared a nationwide state of emergency. However, some critics argue that the government may be using COVID-19 for political reasons.

According to local media such as The Star on the 19th, Anwar Ibrahim, leader of the opposition People's Justice Party (PKR), raised doubts about whether the prime minister, who lost the majority of seats, is abusing the state of emergency. PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim stated, "Implementing a lockdown is sufficient to control the spread of COVID-19," adding, "In a situation where unemployment and poverty gaps are increasing, a state of emergency will only worsen the economic downturn."

He called for the convening of parliament to end the state of emergency early. Former Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng also pointed out that there is no purpose for declaring a state of emergency other than political motives. Former Prime Minister Mohamad Mahathir publicly criticized Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin as a "dictator" on BFM Radio on the 15th. Earlier, Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced on the 12th that King Abdullah had declared a nationwide state of emergency. The king approved the prime minister's request for the declaration the previous day.

The state of emergency is set to last until August 1 and may end early if confirmed cases decrease. However, since Prime Minister Muhyiddin declared a two-week lockdown on five states (Penang, Selangor, Melaka, Johor, Sabah) and the federal government the day before, some suspect that Muhyiddin implemented the state of emergency for political purposes. Political activities such as convening parliament and general elections are prohibited during a state of emergency. Having lost the majority of seats, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is facing pressure to resign and hold early elections.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin recently lost the majority after members of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the core of the ruling coalition, withdrew their support. On the 9th, UMNO member Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub withdrew support for Muhyiddin, followed by UMNO member Mohamad Nazri Aziz on the 12th. The number of seats required for a majority is 110, but with the withdrawal of support on the 12th, Muhyiddin Yassin secured 109 seats, facing pressure to resign and hold elections. However, the declaration of the state of emergency allows Muhyiddin Yassin to maintain his position as prime minister for the time being.

Malaysia has been experiencing a severe resurgence of COVID-19 since the Sabah state election in September last year. By the end of October, the cumulative number of confirmed cases was only about 30,000, but on January 16, the daily number of confirmed cases exceeded 4,000 for the first time, and the cumulative number of confirmed cases has surpassed 150,000. Most infections have occurred in the capital region and Sabah.

The Malaysian government has implemented a short-term lockdown from the 13th to the 26th to control the spread of COVID-19. The strongest Movement Control Order (MCO) has been reintroduced in the five states and the federal government with the highest number of infections. Six states (Pahang, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Terengganu, Kelantan) are under the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO), which is a level 2 lockdown, and Sarawak and Perlis are under the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO), the lowest level of lockdown. As almost all businesses have ceased operations due to the movement restrictions, many Malaysian companies are more concerned about the 'Movement Control Order' than the 'state of emergency.' Michael Kang, president of the Malaysian Small and Medium Enterprises Association, pointed out, "If the Movement Control Order is implemented for more than two months this year, 30-40% of domestic SMEs will close," adding, "Rather than lockdowns, the spread of the COVID-19 virus should be reduced from a long-term perspective."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.