KUALA LUMPUR – The 14-day ultimatum given by Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for the government to reconvene Parliament is not a view shared by the Supreme Council, said Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob today.
The Umno vice-president said the condition stated by Zahid came from the party’s political bureau, reported Malaysiakini.
Ismail Sabri, who is also defence minister, said this means that the action to be taken by Umno should the call to reconvene Parliament not be heeded within the stated period has yet to be discussed by the Supreme Council.
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s decree that the House must reconvene “as soon as possible” has been interpreted differently by various quarters, he said, and the bureau believes the sitting should be held within two weeks.
“That is the view of Umno’s political bureau, not the Supreme Council. In terms of policy, the Supreme Council makes the decisions (for the party).
“The political bureau only proposes, but the Supreme Council decides. So, it is the proposal of the Umno (political bureau) for (a parliamentary) sitting to be held within 14 days.
“But the question is, if there is no sitting (within 14 days), what will happen? What is the action then? This was not discussed.”
Ismail Sabri was speaking to reporters after visiting the family of retired army veteran Suria Mohamad, who had been living under the Loke Yew bridge since November 2019 until he was given assistance recently.
Zahid reportedly chaired an Umno political bureau meeting on Sunday evening, after which he said the Perikatan Nasional government has 14 days to reconvene Parliament, or Umno will call a Supreme Council meeting to discuss its next step.
He also said the party fully supports the Agong and Conference of Rulers’ decrees on a parliamentary sitting.
The government’s failure to heed their wishes is considered a form of rebellion and disrespect to the institution of the Malay rulers, he added in his statement.
“Umno’s stand is that Parliament is very important and needs to be reconvened immediately to allow the people’s demands and hopes to be brought up, to highlight their struggles during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is also to ensure accountability on the part of the government.
“There is no need for terms such as ‘as soon as possible’ and ‘soon’ in the two statements that expressed a common stand (by the Agong and Conference of Rulers) on a parliamentary sitting.”
In his National Recovery Plan announcement last week, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Parliament will reconvene in September or October under Phase 3 of the Covid-19 exit strategy.
The PN chairman has also announced the formation of a bipartisan committee to review the convening of Parliament, but critics have dismissed this as a delay tactic.
Once the country has achieved herd immunity, he said, the parliamentary democracy system can resume its functions. – The Vibes, June 22, 2021
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