KUALA LUMPUR – DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang has given four reasons why the parliamentary sittings beginning July 26 are improper and unconstitutional.
In a statement today, the Iskandar Puteri MP said the schedule for the upcoming sessions does not contain a royal address by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, as was done when the Dewan Rakyat last met on December 17, 2020 and Dewan Negara on December 29.
“The first agenda of parliamentary business this year should be the royal address by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong laying out the government’s policies for the rest of the year.”
He pointed out that the five-day Dewan Rakyat and three-day Dewan Negara sittings are not enough time for a debate on the royal address to be held.
“Last year, the debate on the royal address took 15 days in the Dewan Rakyat and eight in the Dewan Negara.
“How can a five-day Dewan Rakyat and three-day Dewan Negara meeting be adequate for the restoration of Parliament?”
He said the schedule for the upcoming sittings violates Article 150(3) of the federal constitution, which requires the emergency proclamation and ordinances to be “laid out before both houses of Parliament”.
“It will be a violation of the constitution if the Dewan Negara meets only starting August 3, when the emergency is slated to end on August 1.”
Lastly, he said, there are many serious and urgent matters requiring debate by MPs, including parliamentary reforms to win the war against Covid-19.
“The government must explain why Malaysia was recently catapulted to be one of the world’s worst-performing nations in the pandemic.”
Lim called on Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to rectify the schedule for both houses of Parliament, to comply with the constitution and Standing Orders, at tomorrow’s cabinet meeting.
“It is a national relief that the prime minister is not facing a life-threatening situation and continues to make critical decisions while in hospital.
“However, it raises the question of why he could chair a National Security Council meeting from the hospital, but not an emergency meeting of the cabinet on the proper convening of Parliament ‘as soon as possible’.”
The Prime Minister’s Office yesterday said the Dewan Rakyat will reconvene from July 26 to 29, and on August 2, while the Dewan Negara will sit from August 3 to 5. – The Vibes, July 6, 2021
