KUALA LUMPUR – The Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker has announced that the debate for Budget 2021, to be tabled tomorrow, will be shortened to 66 hours from the usual 89 hours and 30 minutes.
Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon today said the daily sittings from November 9 to December 15 will be cut down to only four hours, from 10am to 2pm, in light of increasing Covid-19 cases.
Usually, the sittings go on from 10am to 5.30pm.
Rashid said the oral question-and-answer slots on Monday and Wednesday will also be trimmed from the regular 1½ hours to just an hour, from 10am to 11am.
Only 55 minutes are allocated for ministerial question time – from 10.05am to 11am – on Tuesday and Thursday. Each question can be augmented with only one additional question.
“If the question cannot be answered within the time period, the government will provide a written reply as soon as possible on the same day, and it will be published on Parliament’s portal,” said Rashid at the beginning of today’s sitting.
Party whips yesterday attended a meeting on the matter at the speaker’s office.
As for attendance, there should be only 80 MPs in the House at any one time, starting the Budget tabling. A special access card will be given to each lawmaker allowed to attend proceedings.
Among these MPs, 41 are from the government side, and 39 comprising the opposition and independents.
“MPs who are not given special cards can record their attendance at the third entrance of the main block and the entrance for MPs at the administration block.”
Rashid said should there be a need to extend the Parliament session, it can be done for two days, on December 16 and 17. – The Vibes, November 5, 2020
