KUALA LUMPUR – Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun lashed out at opposition MPs after constant interruption amid his attempts to explain the basis of the conduct of the ongoing special sitting.
Having had enough of the interjections, Azhar told the bench to comply with Dewan Rakyat Standing Orders (SO) and keep their mouths shut while he is speaking.
“What is all this shouting? I am not done (explaining yet). You keep bringing up the SO, but you yourselves are not complying with it. When I speak, you keep shut.
“Don’t just bring up the SO when it is in your favour. It applies across the board.
“And there’s one final thing I want to say. I don’t agree with everything that all of you (opposition MPs) said,” he said.
He was referring to the arguments brought up by several lawmakers earlier that the conduct of the current sitting is against the constitution and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s decree.
The opposition MPs had criticised the government for refusing to allow debates and voting under the current sitting.
Earlier, Azhar said that Standing Order 11(3) specifically mentions that only the prime minister can call for a special sitting, if he felt necessary to do so.
This provision, he said, has been fulfilled after Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin notified him of the current sitting, which will take place for five days from July 26 to August 2.
More importantly, Azhar said the order of business of any Dewan Rakyat special sitting shall be appointed by the prime minister, meaning conduct can only be determined by Muhyiddin.
This is after he was subjected to a flurry of invectives by the opposition for allowing the sitting to be conducted without debates, but which Azhar said was the same convention that is also practised by the House of Commons in the UK. – The Vibes, July 26, 2021
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