Deputy speaker: Parliament will not reconvene on March 8
Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Mohd Rashid Hasnon has clarified that Parliament will not reconvene on March 8 as reported by several media agencies, as the original calendar is no longer valid with the enforcement of the Emergency Ordinance.
He said that a call for a Parliament sitting must be done according to Section 14(1)(b) of the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021 which states that the Parliament shall be summoned, prorogued and dissolved on a date as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong thinks appropriate.
Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Mohd Rashid Hasnon has clarified that Parliament will not reconvene on March 8 as reported by several media agencies, as the original calendar is no longer valid with the enforcement of the Emergency Ordinance.
He said that a call for a Parliament sitting must be done according to Section 14(1)(b) of the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021 which states that the Parliament shall be summoned, prorogued and dissolved on a date as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong thinks appropriate.
“Then, other procedures need to be done, including the proclamation of the prorogue and calling for the 14th Parliament (to reconvene).
“It should be reminded that the notice from the Dewan Rakyat secretary to members of Parliament (on the meeting dates) alone is (at least) 28 days (before the commencement of each Parliament session),” he said in a Twitter posting tonight.
A statement by Parliament's corporate communications department also confirmed that a schedule that had remained posted on its official portal was the original calendar prior to the Emergency Declaration made by the King.
Last Wednesday, Istana Negara in a statement said that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah has expressed the view that Parliament may convene during the Emergency period on a date deemed appropriate by His Majesty, based on the advice of the prime minister.
- Bernama
It is rather confusing to the MPs, more so to the general public about the re-convening of Parliament. I think it might be advisable to refer to the UK Supreme Court ruling that Prime Minister, Boris Johnson,, that suspension of Parliament for such a long period was unlawful. Mind you, the Supreme Court in U consisted of 15 eminent Judges. With their decision, the Prime Minister was forced to re-convene Parliament the following day! The Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn , was right in stating that to prorogue Parliament for such a length of time was unlawful; and the advice given by the PM to the Queen was inappropriate. That was the decision! Note that there was no security threat to UK; it was BREXIT problem; and that the PM feared that he would lose the vote on that issue as it stood! Note that his predecessor, Theresa May, lost her BREXIT case on three occasions and thus was forced to step down .It was a vote of no-confidence , no less ! In Singapore, all the Stimulus packages went through the approval in Parliament, in spite of the covid-19 pandemic.. In fact, she also held a General election last year ! We ought to study the two scenarios , UK and Singapore, for reference as the supremacy of Parliament in a democracy!
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