KUALA LUMPUR – Any attempt to unseat Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin via a no-confidence motion in the coming Dewan Rakyat sitting will not be allowed, said Dewan Negara president Tan Sri Rais Yatim.
Utusan Malaysia reported him as saying the special sitting of the lower house, which begins on July 26, will focus on issues concerning the Covid-19 pandemic, especially considering MPs will convene for only five days.
The motion is unlikely to be included in the order paper, as all motions must come from a cabinet member, he said.
I don’t expect the matter to happen as the room to allow it is very limited, and the Standing Orders do not allow any parties to move such a motion purposely to worsen the situation during a sitting.”
Muhyiddin’s legitimacy as prime minister is expected to be at the centre of attention when the Dewan Rakyat reconvenes, following Umno’s move to withdraw its support for him last week.
Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the party no longer backs Muhyiddin to lead the government, but will allow its MPs to individually state their stand should a vote take place in Parliament.
Muhyiddin holds a very slim majority in the Dewan Rakyat, with the withdrawal of support of just five lawmakers needed for him to lose the House’s confidence.
Rais said Parliament, via a special committee, has begun issuing notices to MPs on the coming sitting, adding that it will not be held in hybrid fashion, but in-person.
Lawmakers will be allowed room to air their views when the motion on the emergency ordinance is tabled, either by a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department or Muhyiddin himself, he said.
He added that MPs can forward any questions they have as per previous Parliament sittings, and these will be arranged accordingly under the Standing Orders.
This is not a special briefing session. Ordinary questions will be allowed. However, we do not yet know the number of questions that will be entertained, due to the limited time.”
Rais said all Standing Orders will apply as usual, unless the speaker of either the lower or upper house suspends certain provisions using the powers accorded to them.
The Dewan Rakyat will meet from July 26 to 29, and on August 2, while the Dewan Negara will sit for three days from August 3. – The Vibes, July 15, 2021
