PARLIAMENT | A backbencher today told the Dewan Rakyat today that if matters concerning the emergency are to be discussed on Monday as planned, the topic would be rendered academic.
Noh Omar (BN-Tanjong Karang) said it would be a waste of time to do so (debate on Monday) but Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun did not entertain this argument.
Noh: If an emergency has been revoked, then there is no point discussing it. It will become academic.
Azhar: We'll talk about it on Monday.
Noh: What I said is true. We will be wasting time.
Azhar: On Monday, the topic is emergency.
The emergency is set to expire on Aug 1. Azhar repeatedly told the Dewan Rakyat this morning that the executive will only answer matters concerning the emergency on Monday, Aug 2.
According to the order paper for today, the fourth item on the agenda is a statement from the deputy prime minister and minister of defence on the implementation of the emergency.
The order paper does not explicitly state that the topic is slated for Monday but Azhar repeatedly told the House this morning that this was the case.
Yesterday, Law Minister Takiyuddin Hassan (PAS-Kota Bharu) stunned the House by claiming that the cabinet had decided to revoke all the emergency ordinances. He explicitly stated that this took effect on July 21.
As of 12.30pm today, the Federal Gazette on the revocation of the emergency ordinances has not been published. The question of whether the executive has received consent to revoke the emergency ordinances remains unanswered.
Earlier today, after Health Minister Dr Adham Baba (BN-Tenggara) briefed the House, opposition MPs repeatedly harangued the speaker on his role in compelling Takiyuddin to explain himself.
To this, Azhar repeatedly said that he had ordered Takiyuddin to do so on Monday.
M Kulasegaran (Pakatan Harapan-Ipoh Barat) said that the order paper (meeting agenda) issued today did not list a slot on Monday for Takiyuddin's briefing.
This was when Noh chimed in. However, when it was clear Azhar did not want to address the point that the emergency would have already expired on Aug 2, an exasperated Noh gave up and sat down.
If indeed that the emergency ordinances were revoked on July 21, it is unclear which set of rules would apply for penalties meted out on those who breached Covid-19 protocols.
If the emergency ordinances are not revoked by Aug 1, these laws will remain in effect for six months, according to Article 150(7) of the Federal Constitution. - Mkini
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