No cause to call for emergency Parliament session, says Azalina

(NST) – There is no cause to call for an emergency Parliament sitting as it was contrary to the Federal Constitution, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said today.

She said there was no urgency in the matter, brought up by opposition leaders and member of the civil society including activist Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan and electoral reform group Bersih 2.0.

“There is no urgency to do so and I am not sure what their hidden agendas are, be it Hakam (National Human Rights Society) or Bersih.

“However, it is quite clear though, that these entities and opposition parties are in cahoots to seek power through the backdoor without demureness,” she said in a statement today.

In citing Article 43(a) of the Federal Constitution, which states that the King has the absolute discretion to appoint a prime minister who commands the confidence of the majority of lawmakers, Azalina said that those who were not in agreement with the present government would have to wait for the next general election.

“At present, our prime minister still commands the majority support from all Barisan Nasional’s (BN) MPs,” the Pengerang MP said.

“The existing BN government is a democratically elected government and if any parties are not exultant with the present government, they would simply have to wait for the next general election and should be acting harshly through any undemocratic conduct.”

Azalina, who is the minister in charge of parliamentary affairs, said that the government should not be held responsible for issues that were beyond its control, including the falling value of the ringgit.

“The fall of ringgit is in tandem with regional trends, with strong movements in global bond markets as well as capital outflows from the regions and is not driven by domestic issues as doggedly chanted by the oppositions,” she said.

Hitting out at critics of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his administration, Azalina said that she failed to see the rationale behind these actions to undermine the government.

“I do not see the rational behinds their moves, as on one hand, these factions acknowledge the fundamental pillars of democracy and the rule of law while on the other, they organise illegal rallies that could trigger racial disharmony.

“Submitting petitions on foreign websites are certainly not a patriotic move to show their affection for this country.

“We should not tolerate anyone that acts against the very principles of democracy as it is a threat to national stability.”

Ambiga, along with Bersih, PKR and DAP have asked Najib to convene an emergency Parliament sitting to explain the 1Malaysia Development Berhad issue and the US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) donation he received.

This comes after the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission confirmed last month that Najib had received RM2.6 billion from an unnamed Middle Eastern source for an unspecified purpose.