Malaysia’s two emergencies: why 2021’s freeze on democracy is not like the trouble of 1969

• PM Muhyiddin now has unfettered powers after calling a state of emergency as Covid-19 cases surge, the first time a national one has been declared since racial riots in 1969
• Critics say the move is that of an embattled leader trying to cling on to power, but there is hope: voters will not tolerate a return to authoritarian rule