KUALA LUMPUR: The Dewan Rakyat sitting will be restricted to one day only on May 18.
The cabinet made its position clear today, after appointing Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan to explain the situation on the heels of the opposition's demand to extend the sitting.
"Why one-day, we all know why and parliament is not the only one which has shortened its sitting, state assemblies are doing the same thing. Some are limiting their sittings to 25 minutes; to around an hour. In Selangor it has been shortened to two-days to allow the Sultan (Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah) to open it and continue the session accordingly," he said.
However, Takiyuddin said that the sitting had to be done on the date as Article 55 in the Federal Constitution dictates that a sitting (of Dewan Rakyat) is not conducted within 6 months of the last parliament session date. And by not doing so, he said would cause the house to be automatically dissolved.
"The provisions in the constitution surmounts that of the MCO (Movement Control Order) which dictates that one cannot gather in groups of more than 20 people because of this. The house rules dictate any meeting with fewer than 26 MPs (Quorum) is invalid," he said at a press conference here today.
Takiyuddin said that house rules also dictate that the 222 MPs and 70 senators attend the opening of the 1st meeting, the third term of the 14th parliament of Malaysia.
He said the one-day sitting was also crucial for Port Dickson MP Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to be declared as opposition leader by the speaker.
Takiyuddin also said the sitting was necessary to bring a motion to appoint the new Public Accounts Committee chairperson, a post vacated when Datuk Noraini Ahmad resigned following her appointment as the Higher Education Minister.
He said that Perikatan Nasional (PN) has decided to retain Pakatan Harapan's policy to select the head of the PAC from the opposition ranks.
The PAC deputy would, however, be appointed from the ranks of the government backbenchers, he said.
Takiyuddin further said that the sitting was also crucial to replace the membership of the previous Parliamentary select committees with Member of Parliament's from the PN.
He said that two supplementary bills related to last year's budget would also need to be tabled in the view of the Prihatin Rakyat Economic Stimulus Package announcement.
He, however, said it would only be tabled for the first reading, the second reading is expected to take place when the lower house of Parliament meets in July.
"The opening this year will not entail its regular ceremony such as the inspection of the guards and the marching band. The Yang di- Pertuan Agong (Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah) will give the royal address and leave before the sitting convenes. The debate on his address has also been postponed to the July sitting."
"We will also be limiting the number of civil service heads (at Parliament Opening) to such as the Inspector-General of Police, Chief of Malaysian Armed Forces, Chief Secretary to the Government as well as the Chief Justice of Malaysia," he said.
On the new norm, Takiyuddin explained that Dewan Rakyat MPs would also be made to sit one chair away from each other and social distancing would be enforced throughout its facilities and compound including the public gallery.
He said the speaker would also use his discretion in only allowing selected media to cover proceedings in the premises, among them would be RTM and Bernama.
On the Motion of No Confidence submitted against Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, he confirmed that Dewan Rakyat speaker Tan Sri Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof had rejected two such motions.
However, it has been confirmed that the Motion of No Confidence by Langkawi MP Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has been accepted by the lower house of Parliament.
"The government does not influence the speaker if he wants to accept it. It's up to him based on his professionalism and discretion. If they are accepted they will be debated in the next sitting, if not MPs are welcome to resubmit their motions in July," said Takiyuddin.
He said that the July 13 meeting, which will sit for 15 days disproves claims that the government was afraid of facing a No Confidence vote brought against it when the upcoming meeting was shortened to one day.
Takiyuddin added that parliament was earlier scheduled to convene for 15-days from May 18 and this had been communicated to the MPs. However, the MCO brought on by the Covid-19 outbreak caused it to be postponed.