Several States Say Bring On The Lawsuits Over CMCO Non-Compliance
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After 9 states announced that they will not comply with the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) and open their economic sectors as decreed by the federal government, Senior Minister (International Trade and Industry) Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali released a statement warning of possible lawsuits by industry players.
Should the state governments refuse to cooperate in implementing Act 342, which has been gazetted into law and enforceable throughout the country, the state governments may face the possibility of legal action from various parties, particularly industry players.
Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, Senior Minister (International Trade and Industry).
Despite the threat of legal actions, several states have stepped up to say, “Bring it on.â€
Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal responded to the statement by saying that saving lives during Covid-19 more important than worrying about lawsuits.
(Credit: Bernama)
According to Malay Mail, he lamented over the opening of the state’s economy at the expense of people’s lives, a decision he said was made without consulting the state governments.
This is not the time to argue about the law. What we are trying to do is save lives in Sabah….What if someone dies and they sue us? Should I be more afraid of being sued by businesses? I’m more afraid of people dying.
Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, Chief Minister of Sabah.
The Penang state government also echoes the sentiment.
In a press conference today, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow declared that the state is ready to be sued to protect the lives of its 1.8 million inhabitants.
Penang’s chief minister also questioned why states were not consulted before deciding on the CMCO and challenged Azmin to prove that the state was non-compliant.
Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Amirudin Shari also defends the state’s decision to partly comply with the CMCO, leaving it to businesses to pursue legal action.
Certainly if they wish to pursue any course of action, including lawsuits, then they can do so as Malaysia is a constitutional nation with its own laws.
Datuk Amirudin Shari, Menteri Besar of Selangor.
(Credit: Yusof Mat Isa/Malay Mail)
Malay Mail reports that Amirudin emphasised the need of a ‘soft landing’ instead of a ‘crash landing’ as the Friday announcement gave the state little time to prepare.
He explained that the state must exercise caution to prevent large Covid-19 clusters from emerging, such as the one seen in the Sri Petaling tabligh gathering.
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