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Anwar files suit to challenge PM's 'advice' on emergency

Anwar files suit to challenge PM's 'advice' on emergency
Anwar files suit to challenge PM's 'advice' on emergency

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has filed a suit to challenge the validity of the prime minister's advice to suspend Parliament during an emergency, which was made into law by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

According to Anwar's lawyer Ramkarpal Singh, his client sought a court declaration that the advice given to the Agong was against the Federal Constitution.

"It needs to be stressed that what is being challenged by the applicant isn't the proclamation of emergency, but the decision of the prime minister (through cabinet) to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to assent to the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021 which suspended Parliament during the emergency period.

"It is the prime minister's advice that is regarded to be in violation of the law," Ramkarpal said in a statement.

A similar suit was filed by former Umno leader Khairuddin Abu Hassan last week, whose main contention was Muhyiddin Yassin could no longer claim to be prime minister when he advised the king to proclaim an emergency on Jan 11.

Khairuddin claimed that Muhyiddin had triggered a constitutional crisis by advising the Agong after losing the support of the majority of MPs.

As of Jan 11, at least two Umno MPs - Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub (Machang) and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (Gua Musang) - have withdrawn their support for Muhyiddin.

At the time, Muhyiddin could count on the support of 110 out of 220 MPs. There are two vacancies in the Dewan Rakyat.

So far, there has only been one ordinance issued by the federal government - Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021 - since the proclamation of emergency.