The Conference of Rulers is set to convene a special meeting this afternoon, chaired by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah.

This comes amid the various crises faced by the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly health and economy.

Given the circumstances, veteran politician Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has urged the rulers to go beyond personal interests and political lines to pick a leader who can successfully lead the country out of the COVID-19 crisis.

"We cannot afford to fail. There is a wave of undercurrent that has not been articulated but is present in the rakyat. It is a silent wave reflecting a loss of confidence. We should not allow this wave to gain momentum.

"The rulers, therefore, have a duty at this crucial moment of the nation's life to assume an important constitutional role arising from the oath that the Agong has taken before the rulers who elected him to represent them. This role is inherent in the oath," Free Malaysia Today (FMT) quoted the Gua Musang MP saying in a statement.

"This is to rise above personal interest, political parties and personal considerations to seek a leader who has the capability, ability, vision and depth of understanding of the present situation to lead a government that can take us out of this dire situation that the rakyat is in."

In the meeting this afternoon, the rulers are set to discuss the views given by the 18 political party leaders who had held an audience with the King over the last few days.

Besides the political leaders, experts from various fields will also brief the rulers on the country's nation, health, security, political and economic situation.

Of late, there have been calls for the rulers to intervene to "save" the country from the crises facing the country. This especially in terms of the state of emergency that the country is currently under, until August 1.

As of yesterday, there have been a total of 667,876 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country, with 4,069 deaths.


Source: FMT
Photo source: Astro Awani