Malaysia: Anwar says has enough MP numbers to ask king to lift emergency

  • PKR president Anwar Ibrahim has claimed he has the support of 114 to 115 MPs to support his appeal to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to reconsider proclamation of emergency and to immediately lift the suspension on Parliament.
  • “Those MPs who are committed to supporting the emergency and suspending Parliament are maybe not more than 90. Some 114, 115 MPs reject the motion of the Perikatan Nasional government. That cannot be disputed. It’s a public fact. The number is more than enough,” said the Port Dickson MP.
  • He however, did not explain how exactly he achieved the numbers.
  • “What is clear now and cannot be disputed is the numbers rejecting PN’s claim for the state of emergency. We just have to wait for the decision of the Agong,” he said during the livestream interview.
  • Anwar, in the programme, also said the goods and services tax (GST) could be reintroduced if Pakatan Harapan returns to power.
  • The GST was abolished in 2018 after PH won the general election.
  • However, Anwar said the taxation system needed to be tweaked to ease the burden on the low-income group. Anwar’s claims come after he slammed the ruling PN government anew by describing them as mediocre and incompetent.
  • The Port Dickson MP said the incompetency is well-reflected in many of the administration’s policies, which he said were rashly made.
  • He gave the recent decision to reopen schools when there is a spike in Covid-19 cases and the limit on business hours as examples. The decisions were rescinded after strong protests.
  • Anwar accused some ministers of not studying the subject matter at all, criticising those who after a day or two of their appointment “make all kinds of haphazard statements”.

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23-Jan-2021