Gov't studying how to conduct 'hybrid Parliament'

 

Five months after Parliament was suspended due to the emergency, Putrajaya is now looking into how it can hold “hybrid” Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara sessions.

In a statement today, de facto Law Minister Takiyuddin Hassan said the government has agreed “in principle” to the concept.

The decision came after a meeting involving him, Dewan Rakyat speaker Azhar Azizan Harun, Dewan Negara president Rais Yatim and their deputies.

“In today’s meeting, we agreed in principle with the conceptual plan of a hybrid Parliament where MPs will be able to take part physically as well as virtually.

“The meeting also agreed that a further study will be done immediately, in order to prepare a paper so that this can be brought to the cabinet for consideration and approval as soon as possible,” Takiyuddin said.

Among the matters discussed were the “infrastructure, technical, legal, standing orders and financial” aspects of such an arrangement.

Law Minister Takiyuddin Hassan

“We are taking this step to ensure Parliament can perform its intended role, even as the country continues to face the Covid-19 pandemic and while rehabilitation programmes are still ongoing at all levels,” he added.

Pressure to open Parliament

This statement appears to contradict Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin’s view on the matter.

Earlier today, Hamzah said holding a virtual Parliament session would result in “much more problems” and doubted it could be done.

He opined that physical sittings could only be held once herd immunity - where 70 percent of the population has been vaccinated against Covid-19 - was achieved.

Putrajaya has come under intense pressure from the opposition, allies and civil society alike to reconvene the federal legislative chamber.

The latest call came from Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Azalina Othman Said, who is also the Pengerang MP from Umno.

The ruling Perikatan Nasional (PN) has thus far declined to entertain such calls, ostensibly due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

This is despite the fact that most ministers and MPs have already been vaccinated.

Critics have accused the PN of using the suspension to avoid challenges to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s majority in the Dewan Rakyat. - Mkini