Good morning, here's what you need to know today.


Key Highlights

  • Royal rebuke for PN

  • Parliament lockdown

  • PN's majority



Royal rebuke for PN

The Perikatan Nasional (PN) government received a royal rebuke for its handling of the emergency ordinances.

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong was "very disappointed" that the government refused to allow the emergency ordinances to be debated in Parliament and for revoking them without his assent.

The strongly-worded statement which said the government misled Parliament and acted unconstitutionally rattled some of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's allies, some of whom advised him to resign.

After a flurry of meetings, Muhyiddin decided to fight. The Prime Minister's Office issued a statement defending the government's decision.

Diplomatic niceties aside, the message is this: The government already informed the Agong of its decision to revoke the ordinances and whether he agrees or not, he is constitutionally required to accept it.

The Agong had wanted the revocation to be done through a vote in Parliament but the PN government was apparently reluctant due to its uncertain majority.



HIGHLIGHTS

Shouts of 'derhaka' ring out in Parliament
This is after Istana Negara's royal rebuke.
Speaker gives 'lesson' on the Constitution in refusing to allow debate
After MPs called for debate on revocation of the emergency ordinances.
#KerajaanDerhaka trends after royal reprimand
More than 40,000 tweets used the hashtag.




Parliament lockdown

The royal rebuke, made in a statement released in the middle of the Parliament sitting, was the cause for much drama in the Dewan Rakyat.

The House adjourned three times to figure out how to respond as opposition MPs ripped into the government for committing "treason" (derhaka).

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim also submitted a motion of no-confidence against the prime minister.

The House was adjourned for a fourth time - on grounds that there had been two Covid-19 cases and Parliament would be put on lockdown so that everyone can be tested.

The timing prompted Anwar to suggest that it was a ploy to disrupt the Parliament sitting.

After the screening concluded, Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Rashid Hasnon revealed that two more Covid-19 cases were discovered and adjourned the House, for the fifth time, until Monday.


HIGHLIGHTS

Anwar: Palace's statement shows govt disrespects the royal institution
He says the govt also went against the Constitution.
Pfizer says third dose strongly helps against Delta variant
The protection is about five-fold greater.
S'gor police confirm SOP breach at Bersatu event
Participants were dancing at the event.

 



PN's majority

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi used the royal rebuke to renew pressure on his rebellious Umno MPs to act against the prime minister.

A majority of Umno's 38 MPs had refused to comply, even though Zahid on July 8 announced his party was withdrawing its support for the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.

Hours after Zahid's renewed call for Muhyiddin to resign, his party rival Ismail Sabri Yaakob insisted that Muhyiddin still commanded a majority in the Dewan Rakyat.

Ismail Sabri, for the third time, orchestrated a statement on behalf of BN MPs to express support for Muhyiddin, which again turned into a kerfuffle.

His office circulated a statement with the BN letterhead claiming that 40 BN MPs back Muhiyddin - and this was followed by a statement from BN executive secretary Mohamad Sahfri Ab Aziz, who called Ismail's statement "fake".

The 40 BN MPs are two short. Ismail's office clarified that it excluded Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Zahid, who is the Bagan Datuk MP.

The BN MPs, particularly in Umno, have divided their allegiances between Zahid and Ismail, but the attempt by both to speak on behalf of all of them have led to repeated confusions.


HIGHLIGHTS

Bersih pushes for recall elections at state level
It hopes this will strengthen democracy.
LFL wants charges against Heidy Quah dropped
'Don't punish whistleblowers.'
#Lawan: Cops detain activist overnight, raid home
This is over social media postings.

 


A daily glance at Covid-19

  • 17,170 new cases yesterday (July 29), the second-highest on record.

  • Pahang hit a new record high of 638 while Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Kedah and Johor are in the four-digit range. All states except Perlis have failed the criteria to be in Phase 2 of the National Recovery Plan.

  • All major indicators are at new record highs - 1,043 patients in the intensive care unit, 531 intubated and 179,179 active cases.

  • For trends on daily cases, tests, hospital beds capacity, vaccination progress and more, follow our Covid-19 tracker.


What else is happening?

  • A construction worker died after a scaffolding collapsed at the LRT3 project in Bandar Bukit Tinggi, Klang. 

  • Police claimed they opened fire on the vehicle of a tycoon's son, with his children inside, because he had allegedly tried to hit one of their officers.

  • Malaysian men's doubles pair Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik defeated gold medal favourites Marcus Gideon and Kevin Sukamuljo of Indonesia at the Tokyo Olympics quarter-finals. They will face China's Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen in the semi-finals at 6pm today.

  • Three Pakatan Harapan health experts warned against using ivermectin to treat Covid-19 until there is more information from clinical trials amid attempts by some of their colleagues to push for its use without scientific data.


HIGHLIGHTS

Malaysiakini journalist grilled over Maeps tresspass probe
Cops confiscate his phone.
Family loses father, sister to Covid-19 within a week
Azenira Ali never expected this would happen.
More than a dozen Covid-19 deaths at Tangkak factory
State reps want action to be taken.

 


What are people saying?

Ivermectin - miracle cure or a thalidomide trap?
By Dr Victor Hoe & Dr Nirmala Bhoo Pathy
RCI on police reforms - 16 years later
By Syahredzan Johan
Politics, education, sports - sexism permeates our society
By Malaysiakini readers