Malaysian Rulers to Meet to Discuss Government Proposals

(Bloomberg) -- Malaysia’s king will meet with the country’s other royal leaders to discuss proposals by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, with media reports saying the government plans to declare a state of emergency to try to control the coronavirus pandemic.

The king understands the need for continuity in the country’s administration to combat the threat of Covid-19, the palace said in a statement on Saturday. He called for patience for a decision on the proposals, it said.

Malaysia registered a record 1,228 new cases on Saturday, according to the health ministry, with 889 in Sabah state. Seven more deaths were reported, bringing the toll to 221. The government ordered about 1 million people to work from home from Oct. 22 in a bid to tighten movement controls in the capital Kuala Lumpur and several states.

The Malay rulers will hold a meeting Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Kuala Lumpur to discuss the government proposals, after which the king will deliver a decision to Muhyiddin, The Star reported Saturday, citing people it didn’t identify.

The government agreed at a special Cabinet meeting Friday that declaring a state of emergency would halt any attempts to politically destabilize the government, allowing it to focus on containing the outbreak, The Star reported earlier Saturday.

Parliament wouldn’t sit during an emergency and laws would be enacted through ordinance by the king, the report said, citing people it didn’t identify. A condition for the measure is that curfews and martial law wouldn’t be imposed, and economic activities could proceed as normal, the report said.

Muhyiddin in March emerged as the country’s leader, heading an unwieldy bloc with a majority of only a few lawmakers that has led to constant speculation about the government’s possible collapse. Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on Oct. 13 said he had the backing of more than 120 of Malaysia’s 222 MPs, and urged the prime minister to resign.

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