Since all the excitement is now focused on tomorrow's Pengkalan Pasir by-election in Kelantan, the Dewan Rakyat sitting today turned out to be a tame affair.

The outcome of the contest had also become a hot topic outside the House.

Inside, only 21 members of Parliament were present while PAS parliamentarians were notably absent.

The hour-long question-and-answer session, which would usually only be able to accommodate 10 questions, today saw 16 questions being raised as many MPs were not around to provide answers.

Even Deputy Tourism Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had to answer a question on behalf of the Prime Minister's Department in relation to the economic gap between the bumiputera of Sabah and Sarawak and the peninsula.

When the sitting resumed after lunch at 2.30pm, there was lack of quorum in the 219-member Lower House and Speaker Ramli Ngah Talib had to adjourn the sitting. It continued later after 27 parliamentarians showed-up.