Good morning, here's a quick rundown of what happened over the weekend.

Key Highlights

• Parliament suspended again
  
  

• Emergency: Before and after
  
  

• #Lawan protest
  
  

Parliament suspended again

After Parliament was put on lockdown last Thursday following the discovery of two Covid-19 cases, a mass screening put the total cases at 11.

Based on this, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin directed Parliament to be suspended again after only four days of sitting.

The government defended the decision, stating that even though the number of those infected was small, they were highly infectious and were likely carrying the Delta variant.

But the manner in which the government used the emergency to frustrate Parliament in the name of the Covid-19 pandemic since Jan 11 did not inspire confidence, prompting accusations that it was now using a different means to achieve the same goal.

The backdrop of this is the government's refusal, in defiance of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, to allow the emergency ordinances to be annulled in Parliament, which will require a vote amid its uncertain majority.

Defiant opposition MPs have vowed to turn up to Parliament today, despite the suspension.

HIGHLIGHTS

	The brewing constitutional crisis explained A guide to the dramatic 'ending' to the emergency.
	Police assure all under control amid govt-palace tension National security and public order are taken care of.
	Azhar abstains from deciding on 'derhaka' motion He cites his relationship with the attorney-general.

Emergency: Before and after

The state of emergency declared on Jan 11, purportedly to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, came to an end yesterday.

Iskandar Puteri MP Lim Kit Siang summed up the outcome of the emergency: more Covid-19 cases and a constitutional crisis between the Agong and the government.

Here's a quick look at the state of the pandemic when the emergency was proclaimed and when it expired.

Emergency proclamation (Jan 11)
Cumulative cases: 138,224
ICU cases: 187
Death toll: 555
Active cases: 28,554

Emergency expiration (Aug 1)
Cumulative cases: 1,130,422
ICU cases: 1,059
Death toll: 9,184
Active cases: 195,273

The government indicated it wanted to extend the national emergency but the Conference of Rulers' made it clear that the Agong won't entertain the request.

However, the Agong did assent to a localised emergency in Sarawak to prevent the state election during a pandemic. It takes effect today (Aug 2).

HIGHLIGHTS

	'Covid-19 restrictions still in force after emergency' Health Ministry says Act 342 still remains.
	Nazri confirms meeting with 40 BN MPs He says they all support the PN govt.
	Ku Li's switch to opposition bench 'strange' - Annuar The Ketereh MP says Umno did not instruct the switch.

#Lawan protest

Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Kuala Lumpur last Saturday to demand Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's resignation.

The protesters argued that their action, in defiance of the Covid-19 lockdown, was necessary due to the government's mismanagement of the pandemic.

The government painted them as irresponsible protesters who are creating a Covid-19 risk.

Federal Territories Minister Annuar Musa said while they have a right to speak up, they must also face the consequences of their actions.

Police are already going after the protest organisers, having identified 29 individuals for questioning. Some of them will be questioned this morning.

HIGHLIGHTS

	Youth activist recounts harrowing detention She says her family was also intimidated.
	'Realise you have failed' - MCA Youth leader tells PM He wants the PM to be replaced.
	Umno veteran moots Ismail Sabri as interim PM This is amid a political crisis.

 

A daily glance at Covid-19

• 17,150 new cases yesterday (Aug 1) with an increasing number of states recording fresh infections in the four digits, suggesting that the virus is spreading aggressively beyond the Klang Valley.
  
  
• A total of 4,014 people died from Covid-19 in July, compared with 2,374 in June. The fatalities in July alone made up 43 percent of the death toll of 9,184.
  
  
• Active cases skyrocketed from 65,453 at the start of July by almost threefold to a record 195,273 by the end of the month, putting unprecedented strain on hospitals in the country.
  
  
• For trends on daily cases, tests, hospital beds capacity, vaccination progress and more, follow our Covid-19 tracker.
  
  

What else is happening?

• All Malaysians aged 18 and above who have not received an appointment for their Covid-19 vaccine can walk into selected vaccination centres in the Klang Valley beginning Aug 5.
  
  
• Malaysia's badminton men's double shuttlers Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik bagged the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics while national diver Nur Dhabitah Sabri narrowly missed out on a bronze medal in the 3m individual springboard final.
  
  
• Umno's legal adviser Mohd Hafarizam Harun was acquitted of his RM15 million money laundering case after the prosecution applied to withdraw the charges against him.
  
  
• The government gave its assurance that all teachers will receive at least the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine before schools reopen in September.
  
  
• PAS Youth called for an investigation into a leaked letter purportedly showing a correspondence between the Agong and Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. The contents were similar to Istana Negara's press statement criticising the government.
  
  
  

HIGHLIGHTS

	MACC: Najib's ex-PR man to surrender RM7.1m as settlement In exchange, his case is withdrawn.
	Former 1MDB CEO, ex-SRC chairperson dropped from lawsuit SRC International withdraws the suit against them.
	Ahmad Maslan's trial to begin in June 2022 This is for money laundering and giving a false statement.

What are people saying?

	Interim government? Unity government? Mageran? By Wong Chin Huat
	Parliament fiddles even as Covid-19 ravages the rakyat By Raman Letchumanan
	Has PN crossed the Rubicon? By Malaysiakini readers

CARTOON KINI