1. Malaysia was much concerned with the struggle of Bosnia Herzegovina to free itself from Serbian ruled Yugoslavia. Croatia, another part of Yugoslavia had already separated.

2. Bosnia Herzegovina was the only part of Yugoslavia where the people were Muslims. The Croats were Catholic and the Serbs Orthodox Christian. Under Tito they had lived in peace with each other. But now the Serbs were oppressing the Croats and the Muslims.

3. Malaysia can claim that it helped the Muslim Bosniaks to fight the Serbs. It was a fierce war. The Muslims were outnumbered and outgunned. But they were winning.

4. At that stage America stepped in to stop the war. They forced through the Dayton Agreement. Clearly the Dayton Agreement favoured the Serbs.

5. Bosnia Herzegovina was effectively split into two. Almost half of it was given to the Serbs. It was ruled solely by the Serbs and was called Republika Srpska. The Croats and the Bosniaks had no role in its Government.

6. The rest of Bosnia Herzegovina was to be ruled by Bosniacs Serbs and Croat through three Presidents, each chairing for one year. This is the Dayton Agreement. Sponsored by the United States. Quite obviously the Bosniacs were the losers.

7. But the Bosniacs did not protest. They tried with difficulty to work with the hostile Croats and Serbs. But now they are going to lose more.

8. The Serbs of Republika Srpska want to secede from Bosnia Herzegovina. They have the tacit support of Europe and America.

9. The Europeans are said to believe in justice and fairness. But more than that is the wish to make Europe exclusive to the Christians. They call Europe Christendom, the abode of the Christians. They regard the presence of Muslims in Europe as an aberration, an intolerable smudge to Christendom.

10. As a result when the Europeans tried to stop the massacre of the Muslims in Bosnia Herzegovina they failed to do so. At Srebrenica, Dutch troops tasked with protecting the Muslims actually moved away when the Serbs attacked Srebrenica.

11. Left unprotected the unarmed Muslims were captured by Serbian soldiers. Then they began a systematic killing of all the men and boys who were captured. The Dutch troops did nothing to stop this massacre.

12. Altogether 12,000 men and boys were shot or bludgeoned to death. It was a war crime but later the Dutch troops who failed to stop the massacre were exonerated.

13. The Bosniac may have to fight another war to retain the entity called Bosnia Herzegovina. But Europe is not going to do anything to stop the killing of the Muslim Bosniacs. They will close their eyes.

14. This time around the Bosniacs will get no help from anyone. The Russians will back the Serbs. So will all the eastern Europeans.

15. We talk much about human rights, about war crimes. We sign international agreements on the conduct of wars. But in the end all these codes mean nothing even to the proponents. If you are weak, you lose and you perish.

1. Saya tidak mengguna mata wang crypto. Saya juga tidak galak orang mengguna tersebut. Saya pegang kepada fiat money atau mata wang fiat, atau wang fizikal.

2. Jika ada promosi dalam iklan atau laman web yang kononnya saya galak kegunaan mata wang crypto, ianya palsu.

3. Pejabat saya sebelum ini ada buat laporan terhadap iklan jenis ini yang kononnya saya melabur dan menggalak kegunaan crypto currency ini.

4. Iklan-iklan itu palsu. Saya difahamkan ada yang terpedaya. Sesetengah iklan itu seolah-olah disiar media tempatan.

5. Saya difahamkan media tempatan juga sudah dimaklum dan mereka sudah buat laporan kepada pihak berkuasa.

6. Pihak awam perlu maklum bahawa perkara seperti ini tidak mudah ditangani kerana pelbagai laman web dan iklan palsu dapat dibangun dengan cepat.

7. Tutup satu, timbul sepuluh.

8. Penipuan dan pemalsuan mengguna nama saya berlaku sebelum zaman media sosial dan internet lagi. Dari dulu juga ada yang terpedaya dengan promosi palsu peluang niaga yang kononnya libatkan diri saya.

9. Ada laporan dibuat dan tindakan diambil. Ada yang tidak. Sesiapa yang sangsi, boleh periksa dengan pejabat saya. Saya tidak pernah dan tak akan terlibat dengan apa-apa skim cepat kaya.

10. Selain itu ada yang percaya laporan palsu yang saya ada kekayaan berbilion.

11. Semasa dalam Kerajaan saya dah isytihar harta. Kalau ada yang masih nak percaya saya ada kekayaan berbilion, terpulanglah.

12. Yang nyata manusia bermacam ragam. Ada yang cerdik, ada yang kurang. Ada juga yang pandai tak terikut.

1. Diantara negeri-negeri Melayu di Semenanjung Tanah Melayu, Empayar Johor adalah yang terbesar dan terkaya. Ia termasuk kepulauan di selatan Singapura, iaitu Riau, pulau-pulau Batam, Bentan dan beberapa yang lain.

2. Di zaman British peta Tanah Melayu tidak menunjuk pulau-pulau ini. Kesannya ialah penduduk Malaya tidak sedar adanya banyak pulau di selatan Singapura. Lebih-lebih lagi mereka tidak tahu yang pulau-pulau ini adalah milik negeri Johor.

3. Apa yang berlaku ialah di zaman kolonial tidak ada sesiapa yang bantah apabila Belanda menjadikan pulau-pulau ini sebagai sebahagian dari Dutch East Indies atau Hindia Timur Belanda.

4. Apabila Belanda diusir oleh tentera Indonesia, pulau-pulau ini pun jadi sebahagian dari Republik Indonesia.

5. Apabila merdeka, Malaya dan kemudian Malaysia tidak pernah tuntut pulau-pulau ini. Kita tidak pun sebut dalam sejarah bahawa pulau-pulau ini asalnya sebahagian dari Empayar Johor. Ahli Keluarga Hang Tuah, Hang Nadim meninggal di sana. Lapangan Terbang Hang Nadim di Batam dinamakan dengan nama beliau.

6. Sejarah mencerita berbagai kejadian yang kita lupakan dengan sengaja. Kemegahan Empayar Johor dan besarnya wilayah Johor tidak pun disebut dalam sejarah Johor. Sebaliknya Johor sudah jadi “hinterland” Singapura, yang bergantung kepada Singapura untuk kemajuannya. Demikian kita bantu untuk Singapura jadi lebih luas dengan tanah kita.

1. Akhbar lapor bahawa Singapura memerlukan bekalan elektrik dan akan beli dari Malaysia.

2. Mungkin kerana itu Kementerian Tenaga dan Sumber Asli mengeluarkan kenyataan bahawa hanya bekalan dari punca yang non-renewable sahaja yang boleh dieksport ke Singapura. Juga eskport melalui saluran milik swasta tidak dibenar.

3. Tetapi umum tahu bahawa kita sedang eksport air ke Singapura dengan harga 3 sen seribu gelen. Kita juga tahu seludupan pasir laut dan darat sedang dilakukan.

4. Sebaliknya jika kita eksport tenaga dari cahaya matahari dan angin, Malaysia tidak kehilangan apa-apa.

5. Saya kurang faham dengan dasar Kerajaan hari ini. Dengan keputusan ini pelaburan yang tidak kecil dan peluang kerja terhalang.

Najib Razak

6. Najib Razak telah dihukum penjara dan denda kerana kesalahan money laundering.

7. Kononnya kerana ia membuat rayuan hukuman tidak dilaksana.

8. Tarikh kes rayuan ialah pada April 2021. Sepanjang masa ia bebas seperti orang yang tidak salah. Kes tidak didengar kerana bermacam alasan.

9. Dia boleh hadir ke Dewan walaupun tidak dapat ke mahkamah. Adakala kononnya sakit.

10. Mahkamah Rayuan mendengar rayuan Najib. Tetapi keputusan ditangguh. Sudah enam bulan berlalu. Mahkamah belum buat keputusan.

11. Sekarang banduan ini dibenar ke Singapura.

12. Peguam Negara tidak bantah

13. Najib ubah tarikh kerana dipilih oleh UMNO sebagai pengurus dalam pilihan raya Melaka. Ini juga dilulus.

14. Bilakah Najib akan dapat keputusan Mahkamah Rayuan. Jika didapati bersalah, Najib akan rayu kepada Mahkamah Persekutuan.

15. Ini juga akan ambil masa. PRU ke-15 pun sudah tiba. Najib belum disah oleh Mahkamah Persekutuan yang ia bersalah.

16. Tentu boleh bertanding dalam PRU-15.

17. Rakyat tentu berbangga. Curi 10-ringgit masuk penjara serta merta.

18. Curi satu billion-ringgit boleh lepas dari penjara.

19. Ramailah penyangak dan perasuah sekarang bebas menjelajah seluruh dunia sementara hukuman ditangguh atau pertuduhan dibatal.

20. Sekali lagi dunia kagum melihat Malaysia, contoh demokrasi yang liberal di mana yang menang kalah, yang kalah menang, yang curi sedikit dipenjara, yang curi bertimbun bebas.

21. Syabas Malaysia.

1. Tidak wajar kita banding Langkawi dengan Pulau Batu Puteh.

2. Langkawi adalah pulau yang diiktiraf sebagai pulau milik Malaysia sedangkan Pulau Batu Puteh ialah beting atau dengan izin sandbank yang dituntut oleh dua negara.

3. Langkawi tidak pernah dituntut oleh Siam dan pegawai Kerajaan negeri Kedah tidak pernah menyatakan kepada Siam bahawa Kedah tidak anggap Langkawi bukan milik Kedah.

4. Sebaliknya Kerajaan Johor melalui surat telah menyatakan bahawa Johor tidak menuntut Pulau Batu Puteh sebagai milik Kerajaan Johor.

5. Kemudian Malaysia mendakwa Pulau Batu Puteh adalah milik Malaysia. Maka ini dipertikai oleh Singapura. Dan berlakulah kontroversi.

6. Percubaan secara rundingan untuk Malaysia memiliki semula Pulau Batu Puteh bertahun-tahun tidak berjaya. Singapura masih mendakwa Pulau Batu Puteh adalah milik Singapura.

7. Apa pilihan kita?

8. Kita boleh berperang untuk rampas Pulau Batu Puteh. Tetapi kos dan korbanan jiwa amat tinggi. Ia tidak dapat diterima oleh kita. Lagi pun belum tentu kita menang.

9. Kita terus berunding tetapi tidak menghasil apa-apa keputusan.

10. Kita, dan juga Singapura bersetuju untuk rujuk kepada International Court of Justice (ICJ).

11. Tetapi untuk ini kedua-dua pihak perlu berjanji secara bertulis akan menerima apa sahaja keputusan yang dibuat oleh ICJ. Tidak ada rayuan terhadap keputusan ICJ. Keputusan ICJ adalah muktamad.

12. Rujukan kepada ICJ hanya akan diterima oleh ICJ jika perjanjian menerima tanpa soal dan keputusannya dihormati.

13. Negara yang bermaruah mesti hormati janji. Hanya negara yang tidak bermaruah yang akan mungkir janji.

14. Muktamad adalah muktamad. Jika sebuah negara tidak hormati janji, tidak ada negara lain yang akan buat perjanjian dengan negara berkenaan. Ia menjadi negara pariah.

15. Sebab itu sebelum berjanji kajian sedalam-dalamnya perlu dibuat. Jika tidak yakin jangan buat janji.

16. Malaysia mempunyai dasar liberal dalam pemilikan tanah. Siapa sahaja boleh milik tanah. Bukan warganegara pun boleh milik tanah.

17. Ini mendedahkan negara pada kehilangan tanah yang sudah dimiliki oleh orang asing. Jika sebahagian yang besar tanah dimiliki oleh orang asing maka negara sudah tidak lagi secara fizikal, tanah milik warganegara.

18. Inilah yang berlaku di Singapura. Walaupun Singapura asalnya milik negeri Melayu, hari ini ia sudah jadi negara asing.

19. Hari ini walaupun negara ini dikenali sebagai Tanah Melayu, tetapi orang Melayu sendiri sudah kehilangan tanah mereka. Nasib baik yang memiliki tanah yang bernilai tinggi dan besar dimiliki oleh warga Malaysia.

20. Satu lagi cara untuk hilang negara ialah dengan menjual tanah yang digali dalam negara atau laut milik negara kepada negara lain. Secara langsung kita menjual sebahagian dari negara kepada negara lain. Jika tanah yang dijual adalah untuk menambak dan membesar negara lain, dia tidak berbeza dengan menjual bahagian-bahagian tertentu negara kepada negara lain.

21. Hari ini kita jual air dan tanah berlori-lori dan berkapal-kapal ke negara lain guna untuk membesar negara mereka.

22. Atau kita jual laut untuk ditambak dan dimiliki serta diduduki oleh orang lain, keadaannya tidak berbeza dari menjual bahagian-bahagian negara kepada negara asing.

23. Kita jual Singapura. Lazimnya apabila penjajah tidak lagi berminat, tanah yang dijual dikembalikan kepada negara asal. Itulah yang terjadi kepada Hong Kong, Goa, Pondicherry. Tetapi tidak Singapura. Tanah dan air yang kita jual ke Singapura untuk membesar pulau itu menjadi kawasan milik penduduk Singapura, dibangun di bawah kuasa Kerajaan Singapura.

24. Itulah sebabnya Kerajaan Malaysia melarang penjualan tanah kita dan mempertikai jualan air kepada negara asing. Malangnya beberapa pentadbiran Kerajaan Malaysia rela untuk dibayar 3 sen untuk 1000 gelen air mentah kepada negara asing kerana malas atau takut menuntut hak.

1. Why is it that the political parties in Malaysia are race-based? The answer is that Malaysians insist on retaining their identification with their countries of origin.

2. This is not so in other multiracial countries. The migrants from other countries, upon accepting citizenship adopt the language, culture and loyalties to their adopted countries completely. They get fully assimilated after one or two generations.

3. But in Malaysia the migrants, despite being citizens insist not only on being recognised as of different origins from the indigenous people but are physically separated through their economic functions and their political affiliations.

4. Pejuang is race-based. It is a Malay party. It has to be because it expects to contest against UMNO, a Malay party. And it expects to do this in the rural areas where the population is largely Malay. These people would not support a multiracial party. In the absence of any other Malay party, the rural people will vote for UMNO. Besides UMNO is rich and rural Malays are poor. Money means a lot to them. Pejuang is the alternative.

5. There are issues but race and money are more important.

6. Pejuang has no money. It depends on race and its anti-corruption campaign.

7. As long as we retain our identification with our countries of origin, politics and political parties in Malaysia will remain racial.

1. The public generally believes that all those who are in a position of power must be corrupt. You can do your best to reject corruption but no one will believe you.

2. Throughout my career I had rejected corruption. I did my best to show that I was not corrupt when I was the Prime Minister.

3. I did not live a lavish life. Yes, I built two houses but they were built with Government loans to which I was entitled and through borrowing from a bank. They were not expensive and I was able to pay the loans with my salary and allowance as Prime Minister. I don’t owe anything to anyone since then.

4. Actually my pay was more than sufficient to support me and my family. It was sufficient because the Government provides me with housing, pay my electricity and water bills, make available to me several motor vehicles, even airplanes for my use.

5. I get paid allowances for moving around the country to do my work or even when taking holidays abroad.

6. The only thing I had to pay for is the food I and my family consumed and my clothing. Even this was not much as I get invited to functions where food was served.

7. I did not ask for scholarships for my children. I could afford to pay for their education. As Prime Minister, I earned more than ten times what I earned as a private medical practitioner.

8. I bought no shares except for 200 British American Tobacco shares which I bought before I became a member of Parliament. The only shares I bought after I joined the Government were those in Permodalan Nasional and other official funds when I launched those funds. But usually not more than 1,000 shares. The return was not big. I did not sell or buy these shares. They remain with the funds and they grow as I did not take dividends. I did not buy shares in the stock market.

9. My children were not allowed to do business with the Government. They were not even allowed to be involved in politics. Certainly not to join UMNO. Most of the business they did when I was Prime Minister were in foreign countries. I did not want to be accused of nepotism.

10. As President of UMNO I was often offered donations for the party. All those donations were given to UMNO. I kept nothing. In fact, I paid for all the campaigning for my own elections. In those days payments for party workers were small and affordable. The normal party allocation for the constituency during elections went to the division and was spent for its management and the conduct of the election. I paid for the cigarettes and nasi lemak occasionally.

11. As Prime Minister I received a lot of gifts. I did not regard them as given to me personally. I regarded them as gifts to the Office of Prime Minister. Accordingly, I registered them as properties of the Government, especially the motor cars. All these gifts are in the Galleria in Langkawi and in my old (Prime Minister’s official) residence in Kuala Lumpur.

12. All these things I did and more to avoid being accused of corruption. But still, I am accused of being corrupt. In fact, many people believe that I have huge amounts of money stashed abroad. No evidence has been revealed that I had this great wealth. But that does not mean that it is not true that I did not have this wealth. It is just that I am said to be clever at hiding my great wealth.

13. This refusal to admit that I am not corrupt affects my efforts to clean up the country of corruption. When I try to campaign against corruption people became cynical. They just cannot believe I am sincere because apparently, I myself am so corrupt.

14. Yet this anti-corruption campaign is very important as I see how corruption is destroying the country. It has come to the stage when Governments can be bought through corruption. And when such a Government is installed, Government funds would be stolen and the country just cannot develop. It will become poorer and poorer and would fail as a nation.

15. The people will suffer as the cost of dealing with the Government would become prohibitive and service would deteriorate. Investments would decline and job creation would not meet the demand of the unemployed workers.

16. So what, some would say. Many countries would be like us.

17. Well, if we are ready and willing to become a failed country it is okay.

18. But we would be looked down upon and would be begging from the rich. We cannot stand tall and be respected.

19. Because of this, I think it is important to elect Governments that are not corrupt.

20. Generally the people do not trust politicians. They believe all of them are corrupt. So, many people have decided not to vote in elections.

21. If people do not vote in elections, the corrupt politicians will win as they would bribe their corrupt supporters to vote for them. Then the Government of Malaysia would continue to be led by corrupt politicians.

22. But I believe most people do not want corruption to cause us to become a failed nation. We want to become a successful nation. For this to happen we have to fight against corruption.

23. How do we fight corruption. We can campaign to instill in the minds of people the rejection of corruption. We can explain the harm that corruption can do to us, to our society, and to our nation. We must make people be aware that corruption is not only about civil servants accepting bribes for the service they are expected to give, but corruption can result in crooks bribing to win elections and form Governments or members of Parliament being bribed to bring down an elected Government and replacing it with corrupt Government.

24. In Malaysia we have reached the stage where crooks can buy members of elected Governments so as to bring down the Government and replace it with corrupt members.

25. By this time the whole population will become corrupt as the corrupt Government will use Government funds to give citizens money to buy support. The cost of doing business would be high, few will invest and businesses will make little profits. With that taxes will not yield enough revenue for the Government. Pay for Government employees, would be reduced. Their purchases would decrease. Retail businesses would suffer, lose profit, pay less tax and Government funds would be unable to sustain the services for the people.

26. The country will become poorer and poorer and will be forced to borrow money or beg for aid. The decline of the country would be continuous and all the people would suffer.

27. Clearly, if we do not want these to happen. If we do not want to become beggars, we must reject and rid our country of corruption.

28. For this we must reject corrupt people from winning elections and forming Governments.

29. We must monitor closely the performance of Governments. There will be false accusation. These will only be accepted if materially proven. It is common for the corrupt to deflect accusations against them by accusing their accusers of being equally corrupt.

30. The struggle against corruption is a holy struggle. In this struggle, we must all be willing to make sacrifices.


* This article first appeared in Astro Awani on Sept 30, 2021

1. Saya ucap terima kasih kepada semua agensi Kerajaan dan pihak lain yang terlibat di dalam gotong royong pembersihan sampah terapung dari perairan Kuah ke Bukit Malut pada hari Selasa 21hb September.

2. Saya bangga kerana tindakan cepat diambil setelah isu ini diketengahkan pengguna media sosial.

3. Langkawi sudah dibuka kepada pelancong semula. Tidak lama lagi, pelancong asing dari luar negara juga akan mula berkunjung semula.

4. Mereka ke Langkawi untuk menikmati keindahan pulau setelah lebih dua tahun tersekat akibat COVID-19. Sudah tentu tidak ada sesiapa yang mahu lihat sampah sarap bertaburan di pulau ini.

5. Saya terbaca di Pulau Bali dan di beberapa pulau peranginan di Thailand, penduduk setempat bergotong-royong bersihkan pulau sementara ianya tertutup kepada pelancong.

6. Mungkin pentadbiran Langkawi juga boleh pertimbang usaha gotong royong bersama penduduk dan pengusaha industri pelancong. Saya pasti usaha ini juga akan dapat perhatian dan sokongan NGO yang bertapak di Langkawi.

7. Langkawi ini pulau bertuah dan telah menjadi tempat sumber rezeki bukan sahaja orang tempatan, tetapi ramai rakyat Malaysia yang berhijrah ke sini. Dan InsyaAllah jika kita berjaya kawal dan tangani masalah COVID-19 ini, Langkawi dapat kembali jadi destinasi pelancongan yang ulung dan ternama seperti dulu.

8. Tetapi, kita haruslah sama-sama pikul tanggungjawab. Saya harap penduduk Langkawi tidak bergantung kepada agensi Kerajaan semata-mata, tetapi bersama-sama jaga kebersihan persekitaran pulau kita ini.

9. Jika pulau ini kotor, pelancong di masa hadapan mungkin tidak minat untuk datang dan dengan itu kita akan hilang punca pendapatan yang kita nikmati hari ini.

1. Kita sedang lihat jumlah kematian kerana COVID-19 meningkat secara mendadak. Tiap hari hampir 400 orang meninggal. Sebahagian dari mereka dibawa ke hospital selepas meninggal.

2. Kenapakah ini berlaku sekarang. Sebabnya ialah kerana jumlah kejangkitan meningkat dengan amat tinggi. Tidak mungkin semua yang dijangkiti (25,080 orang) dimasuk ke hospital.

3. Amalan sekarang ialah yang teruk, yang sudah memerlukan oksigen dan mengguna alatan untuk diberi oksigen dengan tekanan tinggi, sahaja yang dimasuk ke dalam hospital – iaitu kategori 4 dan 5.

4. Kategori 1,2, dan 3 diarah kuarantin di rumah. Di rumah tidak ada perawat atau oksigen. Kategori 3 yang sudah pun menunjuk paru-paru terjangkit, apabila menjadi lebih teruk tidak dapat apa-apa rawatan di rumah.

5. Keluarga di rumah tidak dapat tolong kerana tidak boleh berdekat dengan pesakit. Doktor tidak dapat dipanggil. Pesakit jadi lebih teruk. Oksigen tidak ada di rumah. Dan akhirnya pesakit meninggal dunia.

6. Saya percaya kumpulan ketiga ini boleh diselamatkan. Mereka tidak begitu ramai. Hospital sementara boleh diadakan. Hospital ini hanya dibekal oksigen dan diadakan beberapa doktor dan jururawat.

7. Lebih seribu pesakit kategori 3 boleh dikuarantin di hospital sementara. Pihak tentera boleh bina hospital ala field hospital. Dewan-dewan di hotel dan bangunan lain boleh dilengkap dengan katil, oksigen dan doktor serta jururawat.

8. Apabila dikesan pesakit sudah jadi lebih serius, doktor dan jururawat boleh beri oksigen. Jika kurang respon, pesakit boleh dipindah ke hospital biasa.

9. Lawatan oleh satu pasukan doktor dan jururawat perlu diadakan kepada kategori 1 dan 2 yang dikuarantin di rumah. Dengan itu jika ada pesakit yang menjadi lebih teruk oksigen boleh diberi. Dalam kes yang serius mereka boleh dipindah ke hospital atau hospital untuk pesakit kategori 3.

10. Saya harap cadangan saya ini diterima oleh Kementerian Kesihatan. Saya percaya jumlah kes baru dapat dikurangkan. Dan juga jumlah kematian.

1. The Malaysian Constitution provides for the declaration of a state of emergency.

2. A state of emergency is necessary because the ordinary or normal structure, constitution or laws of the country do not provide for action to be taken to deal with a situation threatening the country.

3. Under a state of emergency actions, and structures not provided in the constitution and laws can be taken so as to deal with the reason or threats facing the nation.

4. The threats or cause which justify the declaration of the emergency has to be identified.

5. In the 1969 case, the reason was the race riots resulting in the breakdown of law and order.

6. In 2020 the stated reason for a declaration of the state of emergency was the COVID-19 pandemic. No other reason was stated.

7. Therefore the Government needs to show and to act beyond the provision of the Constitution and the laws specifically to deal with the threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

8. The Government may claim that a sitting of Parliament would obstruct the actions needed to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. But the sitting on 26 July is merely to brief members on the Government’s plans for dealing with the pandemic. It has already been demonstrated that these plans are ineffective. The number of new cases, deaths and suicides have actually greatly increased during the emergency period.

9. Both the plan and the briefings do not require a state of emergency as they are not against the Constitution or the laws of the country.

10. So they do not warrant the declaration of an emergency. On the other hand it is evident that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a serious turn. New cases have increased above 8,000 daily, deaths have reached 6,260 and suicide cases have reached 468 (as of Jan – May 2021).

11. People are suffering from the loss of their loved ones, from inability to work or do business and earn a living, from the tensions caused by the lockdown, lack of food, inability to look after their families etc.

12. The pandemic has also affected the country’s economy and finance, the social life of the people and the uncertainties in politics.

13. The Government has used the emergency to make laws by decree e.g. the fake news law and the raising of funds for the Government.

14. Clearly under the emergency anything that can mitigate or blunt the effect of the pandemic is legitimate.

15. The King under the constitution acts on the advice of the Prime Minister or the Ministers. But this requirement is for normal situations.

16. But in an emergency if the action is in order to deal with the cause of the emergency i.e. the COVID-19 pandemic, the ordinary requirement for the King to be advised by the Prime Minister, if this stands in the way of dealing with the epidemic, then this provision in the Constitution can be disregarded.

17. The situation is very serious. There is a need for immediate action, even if the action is contrary to the provisions of the Constitution or the laws of the country.


18. It is proposed that a special organisation be set up immediately, with special powers to act in whatever ways to reduce the increase in new cases, to reduce it until it ceases to be a threat to the lives and normal activities of the people.

19. The actions to be taken should be funded by the Government under a special allocation commensurate with the needs of the actions. Civil servants involved in the implementation must be put at the disposal of the organisation.

20. The organisation must be given the same powers and authority as that given to the National Operation Council in the 1969-1971 Emergency.