PKR's Alor Setar MP Gooi Hsiao Leung expressed "shock and disbelief" that the Umno-BN government had gone ahead to gazette the National Security Council (NSC) Bill 2015 on Tuesday.

He said what was more shocking was that they did it without first obtaining royal assent, as a fundamental step in passing laws by Parliament.

Gooi reminded that Parliament consists of three pillars: Dewan Rakyat, Dewan Negara and the Yang Dipertuan Agong.

"It's not the Dewan Rakyat, Dewan Negara and Umno," Gooi told Malaysiakini.

"The act of gazetting the NSC Bill into law shows a total lack of respect and is contemptuous of the decision by the Conference of Rulers on Feb 1 to refer the Bill back to the AG Chambers for refinement," added Gooi.

Gooi said it may be permissible to gazette the Bill without the royal assent under Clause 4(a) of Article 66 of the Federal Constitution.

However, it has always been the culture to respect and uphold the rulers' views with regards to all Bills passed in Parliament.

"Thus is especially so for such an important Bill which gives the prime minister sweeping and absolute security powers, encroaching into the emergency powers of the Agong under the constitution," Gooi said.

"By gazetting the NSC Bill, the government has insulted our rulers by ignoring their views as unimportant, behaving as though our rulers do not even exist," he added.

"This latest grave contempt in sidelining our rulers by the government is an Umno culture that must be rejected by the people," Gooi warned.

He urged the voters of Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Besar to consider this when they cast their votes on June 18.

On Feb 17, the Conference of Rulers had asked that the NSC Bill be refined.

Many expressed concerns over the legislation which would give the NSC council, which is headed by the prime minister, emergency-like powers.

However, according to the national gazette, the NSC Bill was automatically granted assent 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.