Samer Allawi - Kuala Lumpur
The Malaysian government rejected the opposition's request to hold an extraordinary session of parliament to discuss the economic stimulus package it announced to counter the effects of the outbreak of the new Corona virus (Covid-19).
In a press release, Minister of Legal Affairs Takieddine Hassan said that the parliament’s limited deliberations on a single day are based on reality on the ground and facing the spread of the virus.
The government had postponed, in a historical precedent, the opening of the next session of parliament from 9 March to 18 May, which was strongly criticized by the opposition and demanded at the time to resume the work of Parliament normally.
Many interpreted the delay in seeking the new government to stabilize its situation after the political crisis that rocked the country, and to prevent a vote of confidence promised by the "opposition" hope coalition, which it says has a majority in parliament and questions the legitimacy of the current government.
The king had appointed Muhyiddin Yassin to form the government at the beginning of March, based on his constitutional powers to choose who he deems capable of obtaining the confidence of Parliament.
However, the former ruling "Hope" coalition questioned the eligibility of the new prime minister and said that he had misled the king by providing inaccurate numbers to members of Parliament who support him, ensuring that more than 13 of the 222 seats in Parliament are total.
The announcement of the new date for the convening of Parliament came after the government of the "National Contract" coalition received the beginning of last March on the ruins of the "Hope" government headed by Mahathir Mohamad.
The constitution stipulates that parliament must convene no later than six months after the last session of the previous session, which was on the fourth of last December.
Parliament is suspended, and the
Minister of Legal Affairs stressed that the decision to limit deliberations to a single day is legitimate and in line with the constitution and legislative regulations, and takes into account the safety of members of the Council and the emergency health situation in the country.
Anwar Ibrahim, the leader of the opposition, has de facto pledged to the Prime Minister not to raise the issue of confidence in Parliament if it is held.
He said in a live broadcast on his Facebook page that what he presented to the Prime Minister in their meeting on April 12, which is the discussion of the sources of the amounts of economic incentives and their exchange mechanisms.
Ibrahim stressed that his goal is to ensure transparency and deliver aid to those who deserve it, and to avoid embroiling the country with an economic crisis through excessive borrowing on the need.
For his part, Senator Mohamed Nour Menouti said that there is no justification for the government's refusal to discuss the economic incentives package, which is estimated at $ 60 billion, and requires holding a special session of Parliament for two or three days while ensuring commitment to health controls and the use of technology as is the case in many From the states.
In his speech to Al-Jazeera Net, Manouti was surprised at what he called disrupting parliamentary life, especially since the opposition pledged not to raise any issues unrelated to tackling the effects of the Corona virus and economic incentives announced by the government, and ways to avoid a looming economic crisis.
The director in Al-Hajar
As for Brig. Welch, an expert in the Southeast Asian region, it was considered in an article published by the newspaper "Malissia Kenny" (affiliated with the opposition Democratic Action Party) that Yassin (the designated Prime Minister) adopted a tactic to save his fragile political alliance, based on placing his government and the country in a cage Quarantine, buying the allegiances of members of the oscillating parliament, and providing urgent assistance to citizens to gain their satisfaction and absorb their discontent, and it seems - in the expert's opinion - that this tactic is successful but he expected it will not last long.
Mounouti, a veteran politician who heads the board of directors of Sultan Mezzan University in the state of Terengganu, believes that there will be no room for discussion of any issue in Parliament on the 18th of next month, which is devoted to listening to the King’s speech.
He added that Yassin's rejection of Ibrahim's pledges - especially with regard to voting on confidence - is due to the tradition that is based on lack of confidence in political promises, and to avoid any surprise that may be raised by a group of members of Parliament.
In his opinion, the government considered that it is safe for it to include the procedures for closure, preventing movement in parliament, and confining itself to an opening session for the next session to prevent a constitutional crisis, in the event that it exceeds six months from the date of the last session of Parliament last December.
Menouti, who is close to Ibrahim, said that the designated Prime Minister told him that he was facing difficulties within the hastily formed coalition, which was confirmed by the writer Welch, who saw that Yassin faces challenges from all sides.
Among these challenges, and in light of facing the Corona epidemic, "selfish" politicians are searching for their interests. An economic crisis looms on the horizon as oil and palm oil prices collapse, and an expected rise in unemployment. In addition to the health status of the Prime Minister who is believed to have recovered from the cancer he had suffered in the past two years.