KUALA LUMPUR: The Dewan Rakyat meeting scheduled for Monday will see only Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah delivering the royal address for the opening of the third session of the 14th Parliament.
The one-day meeting would end after the royal address, said Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof.
In a statement yesterday, Ariff said he received the notification letter signed by the prime minister as the leader of the House, stating that the government had decided that the agenda for the session, which will take place for one day, had been amended to focus only on the royal address.
The amendment, he said, was due to the fact that the Covid-19 pandemic in the country had yet to come to an end, and that it was in accordance with Standing Orders 11(2) and 15(2) of the Dewan Rakyat.
The royal address will begin at 10am with the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara holding their meetings simultaneously.
Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon, meanwhile, said all members of parliament (MPs) must attend the parliamentary sitting on Monday or face disciplinary action.
He said there was no reason for MPs to be absent unless they had a written justification such as health problems.
"If they fail to attend, it may affect their status as an MP," he said after handing over contributions from an association representing class F contractors in Batu Pahat to the underprivileged here yesterday.
Rashid said as a safety measure, all Parliament staff members who would be on duty on Monday were expected to undergo Covid-19 screening yesterday, while MPs and senators would be screened today and tomorrow.
Meanwhile, analysts believe that the decision to limit the one-day Parliament sitting to the royal address is reasonable.
Universiti Utara Malaysia political analyst Prof Dr Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani said the move would prevent a general election from being called, which is crucial at the moment considering the Covid-19 crisis is far from over.
He also pointed out that the decision was similar to other states such as Kedah, Penang and Sabah, which held their state assembly sittings for only one day recently.
"It (Covid-19) is a strong reason to limit the one-day parliamentary sitting to the royal address instead of having eight days of meetings and tabling of motions as suggested (by the opposition) because of the current situation.
"Parliament is still open and there is another month allocated for both sides of the political divide to debate, including the vote of no confidence."
Azizuddin was referring to the motion of no-confidence submitted by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad recently against Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, which has been approved by the speaker.
Dr Ainul Adzellie Hasnul from Universiti Sains Malaysia echoed the view, saying that the opposition could wait until the Covid-19 pandemic showed signs of decline to call for a full parliamentary session.
"Firstly, it is a special one-day meeting as the government doesn't want it to overrun until the six-month period (of compulsory parliamentary sitting) expires.
"It's not possible to do everything in a day. The MPs can discuss and debate all the agendas the next time the sitting continues. That is the best way because the government doesn't want to be in a hurry since the country is still under the Conditional Movement Control Order."
International Islamic University Malaysia law lecturer Prof Dr Nik Ahmad Kamal Nik Mahmood, however, said there would be perceptions that the government was not serious in undertaking its constitutional and democratic obligations.
"This time, the sitting is very short, as if the purpose is just to ensure that the constitutional requirement is fulfilled."
He, however, acknowledged that there were views that the brief sitting was warranted due to the Covid-19 situation.
"Although many are not convinced with the reason, I'm keeping an open mind as the pandemic is an acceptable reason to have a short session."
Nik Ahmad said it appeared to be a "pragmatic approach" to political issues while focusing on the more urgent and important issue of life and death, and dealing with economic challenges post-pandemic.
PKR's Kapar MP Datuk Abdullah Sani said the decision prevented crucial bills from being tabled in the Dewan Rakyat.
"Clearly, the government is afraid that the opposition may not support the bill, which begs the question are they afraid because they know they don't have the majority (support)?
"I only have one thing to say. Be courageous."
Umno's Kinabatangan MP Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, in response, said such criticisms were expected and welcomed.
"The opposition will still get their chance to table the vote of no confidence in the July session. It will be a long session, so there is nothing for them to be worried about.
"Just because the government hasn't tabled its bills yet doesn't mean it will endanger the people because the government still has money to spend for the public." -- Additional reporting by Nor Ain Mohamed Radhi and Teoh Pei Ying