KUALA LUMPUR – The special Dewan Negara sitting scheduled from August 3 to 5 has been postponed, with the decision coming on the heels of the indefinite delay of tomorrow’s Dewan Rakyat session.
A circular signed by Senate secretary Muhd Sujairi Abdullah said the new dates for the sitting will be announced later.
It said the decision made by the prime minister yesterday is in line with Rule 10(3) of the Dewan Negara’s Standing Order.
The postponement is in accordance with the recommendation by Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, as Parliament is considered a risky locality for Covid-19 following an assessment by the Health Ministry.
Yesterday, it was announced that the final day of the special Dewan Rakyat sitting has been postponed indefinitely, following an order issued by Muhyiddin.
Dewan Rakyat secretary Nizam Mydin Bacha Mydin in a statement said the decision to put off the meeting tomorrow was 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.
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. Eleven tests returned positive.
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
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