KUALA LUMPUR: Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun today said Parliament is ready to reconvene at any time in accordance with the Federal Constitution.
In expressing his commitment to parliamentary democracy, Azhar said his principles have not changed, adding that he is ready to continue his duties as the speaker.
"As the Dewan Rakyat Speaker, my duties involving the constitution and my commitment to parliamentary democracy remain strong.
"I have stressed this repeatedly that Parliament is ready to sit in all aspects, in line with the Federal Constitution and the Dewan Rakyat Standing Orders," he said in a statement today.
After over a two-hour meeting with various parties on Wednesday, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and the Malay rulers said Parliament should sit as soon as possible.
Al-Sultan Abdullah also said a stable, strong and effective government was needed for the country to recover from the pandemic, thus improving the nation's economy.
Azhar also dismissed several media reports allegedly quoting him saying Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's decision to hold Parliament sitting either in September or October was "rational, acceptable and not too late to discuss national crises.
According to him, he has not made any statement regarding the king's call yesterday, claiming that his words were misquoted by the media.
"I only said that the Prime Minister had expressed commitment for Parliament to sit in September and October and that he had informed me of the rationale behind his decision.
"I did not make any conclusion by saying the PM's decision was rational or acceptable or that it won't be too late. The reports quoting me were untrue," he said.