PETALING JAYA,Jan 19: Umno’s Annuar Musa today questioned his party’s move to “petition the King” to summon Parliament to meet and discuss the emergency proclamation, saying it was tantamount to “treason” to do so.
He said the emergency was proclaimed lawfully under the Federal Constitution.
He was responding to Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan writing to party MPs urging them to support a parliamentary sitting to discuss the emergency.
In a posting on his Twitter page today, Annuar said Ahmad was “grossly erroneous” to assume that the Dewan Rakyat should be summoned right after an emergency proclamation was made.
Annuar, who is also the Ketereh MP, said Parliament should only meet after the state of emergency expires on Aug 1.
He said the proclamation was made according to the Federal Constitution, “where the articles related to the emergency are to be laid before Parliament, not to summon the reps for a meeting right away”.
He also said the Emergency Ordinance 2021, which has been gazetted, is legally binding and in accordance with the constitution.
“Umno/BN MPs and other MPs cannot petition the King to undo what is constitutionally done, there is no legal provision for us to do so. There is no legal leg for us to stand on. Our actions are doomed to fail,” he said.
Annuar also asked Ahmad if the petition to hold a Parliament sitting was discussed with Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, “as it was never discussed by the party leadership”.
He said Zahid had already “upheld the command” of the King, in respecting his emergency proclamation in a press statement on Jan 12.
Ahmad’s letter, he said, can therefore be considered as going against the party’s stance and is “treasonous” to the King.
“It is clearly an attempt to continue to be in cahoots with opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and DAP, who have asked for a similar petition.
“I hope you (Ahmad) will rescind the letter, and I’m in disagreement with your plan which is unconstitutional and against the Umno leadership’s decision and policy.”
Ahmad’s letter, seen by FMT, urged all Umno and BN MPs to support an agreement to “carry out Article 150(3) of the Federal Constitution so as to summon the Parliament immediately”. The letter was also copied to Zahid.
FMT has contacted Ahmad for his comment.
