Malaysian king declares state of emergency effective until August 1 due to COVID-19

The King of Malaysia declared a state of emergency nationwide on Tuesday, battling a large number of corona virus outbreaks in hospitals, with critics accusing it of being a move to cling to the power of an unstable government.

The announcement comes a day after the prime minister introduced new regulations, including the closure of most businesses in Southeast Asian countries, and warned that the health care system was "in a state of disarray."

King Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah has agreed to declare a crisis until August 1 at the request of Prime Minister Minister Muhyiddin Yassin at a meeting on Monday, the national palace said in a statement.

The move allows for the suspension of political activities such as parliamentary and local elections, and Mr. Muhaidin's highly unstable, 10-month-old government faces many challenges.

Malaysia has kept most of last year under tight locking, but as sanctions have been eased and cases have been expedited, new records have been struck again and again in recent days.

The palace report added that the emergency could have been removed earlier if the infection rate had dropped.

Video In Tamil