PETALING JAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Malaysia's King could proclaim a state of emergency and set up a National Operations Council (NOC) if there is no MP who can prove he has majority support in the Lower House, says the National Council of Professors (NCP).
NCP president Raduan Che Rose said the NOC would be a temporary measure to ensure the smooth running of the country before the 15th General Election can be safely held.
"The resignation of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister was done based on the federal Constitution. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong has to appoint a new prime minister, one who can garner majority support of Parliament to lead the nation until GE15," said Prof Raduan in a statement on Tuesday (Aug 17), referring to the King and the next general election.
"If not even one MP has the majority support, we are confident that the King will use his wisdom to find a way out as the current situation is not a suitable time to hold GE15," he added.
"In that situation, the NCP is confident that the King could proclaim a state of emergency and form an NOC, which could be chaired by an individual consented to by His Majesty," said Prof Raduan.
He added that it would be best if the said individual is someone who has wide experience in governance, is respected and accepted by all parties, and also "does not have any ambitions to become the prime minister through GE15".
"This is a temporary measure before it is suitable for GE15 to be held to form a government according to the federal Constitution," he said.
Prof Raduan also added that under a new emergency proclamation, the authorities could draft several important ordinances to enable the Election Commission to plan and execute the general election according to Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs).
"If the new SOP can be drafted and is ready for implementation, the interim prime minister or NOC could carry out... duties for a limited period until GE15 is held.
The NCP is also of the view that the new government or NOC must work to rebuild national political cooperation for long-term national political stability," said Prof Raduan.
"The national political cooperation must be made up of all major segments of the community and stakeholders, including Sabah and Sarawak," he said, adding that Malaysia needed a national consensus to be reached, consequently developing a solid "consociational democracy", thus engineering the birth of a "grand national coalition" representing all main groups and interests of the nation.
Prof Raduan said this was the base for long-term stability and a means to foster a stronger sense of unity among multiracial Malaysians.
