State of Emergency in Sarawak extended until February 2022

(MMO) – The Emergency Proclamation which is set to end tomorrow will instead be continued in Sarawak until February 2, 2022.

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah gave his consent to a new proclamation on Thursday, which was published in the government gazette yesterday.

However, the proclamation will first be discussed in Parliament, per Clause 3 of Article 150 of the Federal Constitution.

According to the gazette, His Majesty as the head of state has expressed his agreement that a major emergency is underway that threatens the safety, economic livelihoods and peace in the Federation, caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Therefore, under Clause (3) of Article 21 of the Sarawak State Constitution, the state legislature was supposed to have been dissolved on June 7, but Clause (3) of Article 21 does not have any impact per paragraph 15(1)(a) of the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021, which suspends the dissolution of the state legislature.

“Paragraph 15(1)(a) will cease to be in force on August 2, 2021, per the Emergency Proclamation, which was issued on January 11, wherein the state election must be held within 60 after August 2, according to Clause (4) of Article 21 of the Sarawak State Constitution,” it read.

His Majesty has decreed that Clause (1) of Article 150 of the Federal Constitution enables him in this instance to issue an Emergency proclamation to suspend elections for the state legislature, in order to prevent Covid-19 from spreading further.

“Therefore I, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah, by the grace of Allah, as Yang di-Pertuan Agong for the states and territories of Malaysia, do hereby carry out the authority vested in me as stated above, to declare a major emergency to be occurring, and for the Proclamation to cover all of Sarawak beginning on August 2, 2021, until February 2, 2022,” read the gazette.

The proclamation was issued at Istana Abdulaziz in Indera Mahkota, Kuantan.

Previously, it was reported that the Sarawak state government had acceded to the King and left the matter for discussion between His Majesty and the Governor of Sarawak Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud, to determine when the 12th state election will take place. The decision was meant to be made after June 6.