Regional MPs denounce new suspension of parliament in Malaysia

Please click here for a Malay translation of this statement

JAKARTA – Southeast Asian parliamentarians have expressed alarm about the new suspension of Parliament in Malaysia after months of unchecked ruling by the government. Amid reports that some members of the ruling coalition have removed their support for the government, ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) repeated their calls to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to convene parliament for a full session as soon as possible. 

“The sight of dozens of opposition MPs being prevented from entering parliament by riot police should be a major embarrassment to the administration of Prime Minister Muhyiddin, which instead of providing leadership when it is needed most, has hidden behind the pandemic so it can maintain its increasingly fragile hold on power,” said Mu Sochua, an APHR Board Member and former Member of Parliament (MP) in Cambodia. 

“Recent developments further highlight the importance of parliament being reconvened as soon as possible in order to effectively scrutinize any decisions moving forward and to restore parliamentary democracy in the country.” she added. 

Parliament in Malaysia has been suspended since January, when the government enacted a state of emergency, citing coronavirus as a threat to the country’s security. It reopened on 26 July but the five-day special sitting was only to brief lawmakers on the pandemic and debates were banned. A special parliamentary meeting was due to take place on August 2, but was postponed until a later date after COVID-19 cases were reportedly detected in parliament. 

However, dozens of opposition lawmakers convened in central Kuala Lumpur, insisting on gathering for a session at the nearby Dewan Rakyat (Lower House), but were blocked from entering by the Federal Reserve Unit, which is usually dispatched to handle riots. The group was dispersed peacefully, but it was later reported that the lawmakers present will be summoned for questioning by police. 

“While governments must sometimes take extraordinary measures to tackle health emergencies such as COVID-19, when extremely important decisions are being taken for the country and with drastic consequences on people’s human rights, it is absolutely crucial for parliament to function effectively, to ensure transparency and accountability,” said APHR’s Mu Sochua. 

“MPs should also not face any judicial proceedings for merely trying to do their job as representative of the people, and conducting peaceful protest,” she added.  

Background

Malaysia has faced political upheaval in the past year and a half. In March 2020 Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin emerged as the leader of a coalition with a majority of only a few lawmakers after former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed stood down. The situation has led to calls for a vote of no confidence to be held against Prime Minister Muhyiddin, as well as speculation that a snap election could take place. Earlier this year, several lawmakers withdrew their support for the Prime Minister, reportedly threatening his already slim majority in parliament. Prime Minister Muhyiddin has since promised to conduct a vote of no confidence in September.