KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 — The Pakatan Harapan (PH) presidential council today chastised the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) for defending its move to announce the revocation of the Emergency Ordinances (EOs) in Parliament, accusing the government of betraying the Federal Constitution and the parliamentary democracy.

In a statement today, PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) president Mohamad Sabu criticised the PMO, saying the root problem lies in the statement made by the de facto law minister, Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan, who had on July 26, announced that the government has revoked the EOs effective July 21.

"However, Istana Negara’s statement yesterday clearly stated that His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had not consented to the cancellation, and Takiyuddin had misled the members of the House of Representatives. Therefore, the counter statement of the Prime Minister’s Office yesterday was arrogant and rude towards the Head of State, in violation of the Federal Constitution and the system of parliamentary democracy.

"It is important to note that a government that has lost good relations and is no longer loyal to His Majesty is unlikely to survive,” the trio said.

They lamented that Attorney General Tan Sri Idrus Harun also failed to carry out his official duty to provide legal advice to the King in a neutral and independent manner without siding Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, adding that during this special sitting of Parliament, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun had also defended the government by preventing any debates on the EOs.

"Even more disappointing, yesterday in Parliament he used various excuses and tricks to avoid this matter from being discussed and decided to adjourn the session four times, including on the grounds that all members of Parliament have to undergo the Covid-19 tests, even though there is no parliamentary cluster,” they added.

Anwar, Lim and Mohamad also urged Muhyiddin and the entire Perikatan Nasional (PN) Cabinet, as well as Idrus and Azhar to "resign respectfully” over their actions, following the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s statement yesterday, that the revocation of the EOs was announced in a hurry without being tabled in Parliament, and disregarded his role and powers as the Head of State. 

"If this is what Tan Sri Muhyiddin and the PN government did to His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, what more the people,” they added.

The PMO yesterday maintained that Muhyiddin and Takiyuddin had observed and followed all the due processes under the Federal Constitution when announcing the revocation of the EOs on Monday.

In a statement, it said Muhyiddin had written a letter to the Agong on July 23 advising the ruler to revoke the EOs, and again in an audience on July 27.

"The government is of the view that all these actions taken are orderly and in accordance with the provisions of the law and the Federal Constitution,” the statement read.

It pointed to Articles 40(1) and 40(1A) of the Constitution stating that the Agong, while exercising his constitutional functions or functions under federal law, is to accept and act in accordance with the Cabinet’s advice or the advice of a minister acting under the general authority of Cabinet, except otherwise provided by the Federal Constitution.

The PMO said that on July 24, the King had summoned Takiyuddin and Idrus to provide a detailed explanation with regards to the Cabinet’s advice, adding that on July 26, all of the EOs were laid in the Dewan Rakyat, in line with Article 150(3) of the Federal Constitution.

It also suggested that the confusion came after Opposition MPs urged for the Dewan Rakyat to annul the EOs.