SG BESAR POLLS DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang today hammered the government for disrespecting the Conference of Rulers by gazetting the National Security Council (NSC) Bill without their assent.
"It's clear the views of the Conference of Rulers were not taken into account which is clear disrespect and contempt of the rulers," he said at a press conference in Sekinchan today.
On Feb 17, the Conference of Rulers asked that the NSC Bill, which would give the council NSC headed by the prime minister emergency-like powers, be refined.
However, according to the national gazette, the NSC Bill was automatically assented the following day on Feb 18 under Article 66(4A) of the Federal Constitution.
The provision grants automatic assent to any legislation if the Yang di-Pertuan Agong does not provide his assent within 30 days from when the legislation is presented to him.
The bill was gazetted into law on Tuesday, although an enforcement date has yet to be set.
Lim hoped Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak would step in and take the sultans' views into account before the law is enacted.
Critics have said that the emergency-like powers bestowed by the NSC Bill would usurp the Agong's authority to declare emergencies.
They have also voiced concerns that it may be used to crack down on dissent.
Wan Azizah: Dangerous development
Concurring with Lim, Opposition Leader Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail slammed the move as "an unprecedented and dangerous development in our constitutional history".
"The rulers play an integral and crucial role in considering and approving bills passed by Parliament.
"Their role is especially important in the context of our country, where the BN has long ignored fundamental freedoms and constitutional niceties," the PKR president said in a statement.
She asked what was the urgency in resorting to Article 66(4)(a) to pass the new law, adding it was unacceptable because of the "legitimate and well-grounded reservations of the rulers".
"The BN has shown grave disrespect to the rulers, and ignored the constitutional role of the rulers.
"As leader of the opposition, I call upon Najib and his government to repeal the NSC Act at the next session of Parliament," she said.
'Umno not respecting BN'
Meanwhile on another matter, Lim rubbished the notion put forth by Selangor BN chief Noh Omar that DAP did not respect Amanah.
"It is Umno that doesn't respect the 13 other component parties in BN," he said.
Lim said this was why Umno, without consulting the other component parties, had fast-tracked PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's Private Members Bill to table amendments to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act.
The amendments would pave way for the implementation of hudud in Kelantan.
BN component parties like MCA, MIC and Gerakan reacted negatively to the developments, with ministers threatening to quit office if hudud was implemented.
However, things appear to have been smoothed out after Najib promised the component party leaders that their views would be considered after the twin by-elections in Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar.
