KUALA LUMPUR: The government is considering whether to propose declarations of emergency for the Gerik parliamentary and Bugaya state constituencies in Perak and Sabah, respectively.
This is to try to avoid by-elections there following the recent deaths of their elected representatives, the Dewan Rakyat heard today.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan said the decision would, however, depend on Covid-19 risk assessments by the Health Ministry and the National Security Council (NSC).
He said the proclamation of emergency in Batu Sapi on Nov 18 was made following the Cabinet's decision to ask Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah on the matter in accordance with Article 150 of the Federal Constitution.
The move was made after taking into consideration the current Covid-19 situation in Sabah, he said.
Sultan Abdullah declared an emergency in Batu Sapi on Nov 18, thus postponing the by-election for the parliamentary seat slated for Dec 5.
Takiyuddin said there was a high possibility of non-compliance of standard operating procedures (SOP) in the constituency.
In addition, he said, only 143 out of the 834 election workers were up to the task as of Nov 6.
"The Health Ministry has also stated their difficulties in providing healthcare workers and medical officers to handle some 32,000 voters in Batu Sapi.
"The government is of the opinion that the declaration of emergency is very accurate and the move taken by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong was in accordance with the Federal Constitution. It is not an act that contradicts the practice of democracy," he said.