KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 — The Pakatan Harapan (PH) presidential council today urged the Special Independent Emergency Committee (SIEC) to uphold the royal decrees and push for the end of the nationwide Emergency on August 1 as scheduled.

The Opposition coalition’s top leaders recalled both the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Conference of Rulers stating last Wednesday that they do not see a necessity for the Emergency to be extended.

"Pakatan affirms its stance that the Emergency declared on January 11 has not made an impact on the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, and must be ended immediately.

"Indeed based on the scientific evidence and data, the pandemic has worsened since the Emergency was declared, with a spiraling rate of daily positive cases and death toll,” they said in a statement.

The PH council comprises PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, his Parti Amanah Negara counterpart Mohamad Sabu, and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

They noted that the SIEC is to hold its next meeting next month, and called for them to include three things in their discussion.

"The committee should uphold the decree of the Rulers concerning the Emergency, and accept the scientific evidence and data that the Emergency has had no impact on the efforts to control the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Lastly it should advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to not extend the Emergency past August 1, as the SIEC’s function will end and it will dissolve after that date,” the PH leaders said.

The Emergency was declared in January to help slow the spread of Covid-19, but infections have remained well over the 4,000 mark, which the government recently set as the threshold for Malaysia’s next phase in the national recovery plan.

This has also delayed the government’s announcement for Parliament to reconvene.