KUALA LUMPUR – Claims that the prime minister ordered the postponement of tomorrow’s Dewan Rakyat sitting for fear of his administration collapsing are baseless, said Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu.
The Bersatu No. 2 told Free Malaysia Today that he is confident Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also his party president, still commands the majority.
“Bersatu and Perikatan Nasional MPs, including myself, are prepared to face (the House) when it reconvenes.
“We are very confident that majority support will be retained to enable the government to continue functioning, with a focus on the rakyat’s welfare.
“The question of avoiding the sitting because of concerns that the government may fall does not arise at all.”
It is an insult to allege that the government has political motives in the matter, he said, adding that critics should be more aware of the dangers of new Covid-19 variants.
“As MPs, we must put the safety of the public as our main priority. Even though we have been vaccinated, we are not immune and can still carry the virus without us knowing it.”
Bersatu supreme council member Datuk Razali Idris told the news portal that the opposition has hidden motives in urging for a confidence vote to be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat.
“If we see the opposition pushing to have a sitting for improvements in our Covid-19 handling, the government will accept this. But, we see that they (the opposition) are not heading in that direction. They are trying to create even more instability.
“All of them must wait. If there is a new motion, or if they want to bring a vote of no confidence, they can raise the matter in September.”
Former health minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad yesterday slammed the decision to postpone tomorrow’s session.
He tweeted that a Covid-19 screening conducted on July 23 detected 53 cases among the 1,925 people tested, making for a positivity rate of 2.8%, but Parliament was allowed to convene on July 26.
He said a screening on July 29 found 11 cases among 1,183 tested, with a positivity rate of 0.9%.
“But no session on Monday August 2! Where’s the science (behind this)? Think about it,” he said, tagging the Health Ministry and Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah in his post.
1. Keputusan Ujian 23 Julai:
— Dzulkefly Ahmad (@DrDzul) July 31, 2021
Positif 53/1925 dgn Kadar Positif 2.8%
DEWAN BOLIH BERSIDANG pd lsnin 26 Julai.
2. Keputusan Ujian 29 Julai:
Positif 11/1183 dgn Kadar Positif 0.9%
TIDAK BOLIH BERSIDANG pd Isnin 2 Ogos, 2021!
Di mana Sainsnya? Fikir2kan.. @KKMPutrajaya@DGHisham https://t.co/EZFRSlrTWI
Dewan Rakyat secretary Nizam Mydin Bacha Mydin in a statement yesterday said the decision to put off the meeting tomorrow is due to a recent Covid-19 outbreak in Parliament.
He said the instruction was relayed by Muhyiddin to the Dewan Rakyat speaker’s office in line with Standing Order 11(3) of the House, which grants the prime minister the power to decide a meeting when Parliament is not officially in session.
The special sitting was called to discuss the government’s Covid-19 handling after the emergency declared in January led to the suspension of parliamentary proceedings.
Nizam Mydin said the postponement is consistent with Dr Noor Hisham’s proposal and a risk assessment conducted by the ministry.
“As such, I have been ordered by Deputy Speaker Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon to submit this notification to all MPs that the Dewan Rakyat will not sit on Monday, August 2.”
The delay comes amid a brewing constitutional crisis between Istana Negara and the Perikatan Nasional government, following the latter’s announcement last Monday of the revocation of emergency ordinances without first securing royal assent.
In a strongly worded statement issued by the palace on Thursday, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong reprimanded the government for misleading the Dewan Rakyat and acting unconstitutionally.
Opposition MPs in an immediate response demanded an answer from Putrajaya.
The uproar in the House led to Rashid, who was overseeing the proceedings, adjourning the sitting multiple times.
He later announced a possible Covid-19 outbreak in Parliament, requiring all MPs to be immediately tested.
The move to adjourn the session on Thursday has been described by many as an attempt by the government to avoid being questioned on the revocation, as well as a potential vote of confidence that could see Muhyiddin losing. – The Vibes, August 1, 2021
