"They just need to repackage the word 'emergency' to avoid public panic. They won't call it 'darurat' but will give it a new name. Something for Covid-19."

- From a source reportage by The Malaysian Insight.

COMMENT | There has been much hand wringing over this backdoor government’s possible use of “emergency” to disrupt the democratic norms and processes of this country. Highly intelligent folks have been giving the rakyat the low down on what exactly is an “emergency declaration” and why we do not need it.

Now that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong has decided that there is no need for an emergency declaration and that politicians should not threaten the stability of the government, the rakyat can breathe a sigh of relief. While the rumour mills spinning that all this was to threaten MPs into falling in line or that this was needed because the pandemic was going out of control, the reality is that this was a means to an end for political power. From the beginning, it was so transparent.

All the rakyat really have to understand is this. One, this is not the kind of emergency that you think it is, the kind where there will be armed forces on the streets with possible shoot to kill orders and with movements restricted when the country shuts down because the state restricts...