On the 45th anniversary of his father’s passing, Najib reminisced about how Abdul Razak Hussein had led the nation as the second prime minister through another period of emergency following the May 13 riots.

“The situation at the time (for an emergency) was necessary and it needed to be implemented. The people understood and accepted it,” Najib said in a Facebook posting.

Quoting his late father, he said the struggle for independence would be in vain if power was not restored to the people through Parliament.

“The power in leaders’ hands is not theirs. The power to govern fully belongs to the people.

“In 1971, my father said: ‘Unless we restore power to where it properly belongs and to the people through Parliament, all the struggle for independence, the struggle against communism, all that will have been in vain.’

“Parliamentary democracy and the power of the people are still upheld and respected,” he said.

He added that there were bound to be differences and questions raised when leaders fail to look after the people’s needs and resolve their problems, adding that such things should also be rectified.

“The major function of a government is to serve as the protector of the people and supplier of the needs of the people. In any situation, the welfare and prosperity of the people is the priority.”

The King declared a state of emergency on Tuesday on the advice of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and his Cabinet.

With the emergency, the legislative arm of the government will be unable to function due to the suspension of Parliament, although the judiciary and executive will operate as usual.

Muhyiddin’s motives behind the emergency have been called into question by many, including Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim who claimed that the emergency was purely to protect the position of the prime minister.