The government has no plans to propose an amendment to the federal constitution to postpone elections in a pandemic and will instead opt to propose a state of emergency, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Takiyuddin Hassan said.
To propose an amendment for such a purpose was “inappropriate and in conflict with the federal constitution”, the minister in charge of laws and parliament said in a parliamentary written reply.
“Furthermore, two-thirds of MPs need to support it.
“The government can instead propose to postpone an election because of a pandemic by declaring a state of emergency, as there is provision for this under Article 150(1) of the constitution,” Takiyuddin said.
He was replying to Mahdzir Khalid (BN-Padang Terap) who asked if the government would either move a constitutional amendment or promulgate a new law to postpone elections during a pandemic.
Yesterday, Takiyuddin’s colleague in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof, however, told the Dewan Rakyat that the government would study the possibility of drafting a new law to that effect.
“If need be, create a specific act, the government is studying and making proposals to the people,” Bernama quoted him as saying. – TMI