Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Aziz has likened the Opposition to "motherless chicks" at the Dewan Rakyat sitting.

He tagged the opposition as such, as it did not have a temporary leader at the sitting.

"There is nobody to act as the anchor. So, they are headless chickens. I call (refer to) them (as) motherless chickens because there is no temporary head," he said.

He was speaking to reporters in Putrajaya today, after addressing Public Service Department students who would be furthering their studies in Japan.

On the final day of the Dewan Rakyat sitting last December, four opposition members of parliament (MPs) were suspended for six months.

They are opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim (PKR-Permatang Pauh), Azmin Ali (PKR-Gombak), R Sivarasa (PKR-Subang) and Karpal Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor).

The opposition now numbers 76 in the Dewan Rakyat after Padang Serai MP N Gobalakrisnan quit PKR to become an Independent.

With four members suspended, the opposition has only 72 in this session of the Dewan Rakyat.

The first meeting of the fourth session of the 12th Parliament began on Monday and was opened by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin.

Nazri said PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail only read out Anwar's speech and there was nothing more to that.

- Bernama