In a televised speech on Tuesday, Muhyiddin said that parliament would be suspended for a stipulated period of time and that elections would not be held during the emergency, which could last until August 1.
“Let me assure you, the civilian government will continue to function. The emergency proclaimed by the king is not a military coup and the curfew will not be applied,” said Muhyiddin, in an attempt to dispel the alarm over the measures.
Some MPs from the ruling coalition have won support for the prime minister and called for early elections, while opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said last year that he had a majority to form a new government.
Muhyiddin assured people that the elections would take place as soon as a new independent committee declared that the pandemic was over and that it was safe to hold the elections.
Under the emergency regime, your government can introduce laws without parliamentary approval.
On Monday, Muhyiddin announced a travel ban across the country and a 14-day blockade in the capital Kuala Lumpur and five states, saying the health care system for the country of 32 million was at a breaking point .
The number of new daily infections reached a record high last week, surpassing the 3,000 mark for the first time. The total number of coronavirus cases exceeded 138,000 on Monday, with 555 deaths.
Malaysia’s benchmark stock index fell as much as 1.6% after the emergency announcement.
‘Critical stage’
The Malaysian palace said Muhyiddin had asked King Al-Sultan Abdullah to declare the state of emergency as a proactive measure to contain Covid-19.
The statement will last until August 1 or earlier, depending on whether coronavirus infections have been controlled, the report said.
“Al-Sultan Abdullah is of the opinion that the spread of Covid-19 is at a critical stage and that it is necessary to declare an emergency proclamation,” the palace said in a statement.
The king rejected a similar request from Muhyiddin in October. Opposition leaders criticized the request as a move to hold on to power.
Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy in which the king has a largely ceremonial role, fulfilling its obligations to the council of the prime minister and the cabinet. But the monarch also has the power to decide whether an emergency should be declared, based on threats to security, the economy or public order.
Nik Ahmad Kamal Nik Mahmood, a legal expert at the International Islamic University of Malaysia, said the government would gain broad powers during the emergency.
“The constitution is more or less suspended, as a substantial part of it can be overturned by emergency law,” he said.