MPs could lose their seats if they don't attend May 18 sitting - Loke

DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke warned that MPs could lose their seats if they do not attend the Parliament sitting on May 18.

As such, the chief parliamentary whip for DAP said he expects all MPs to be present.

"Firstly, I would like to remind all MPs, particularly from DAP and Pakatan Harapan, that they must attend Parliament.

"Not only must Parliament sit for every six months, but MPs must also be physically present once every six months.

"If they do not attend this sitting, their seats could become vacant and there may be a by-election," he said in an online talk show with the party's Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim Chee Keong.

He also joked that Sim, who is the Bukit Mertajam MP, must also attend Parliament or there would be a by-election in his constituency.

The May 18 sitting is called to prevent Parliament from lapsing but will only sit for a day amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

It was previously scheduled to convene on March 9 but was postponed by the new Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.

Under the Federal Constitution, the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong must convene the Parliament sitting not more than six months from the last day of the previous sitting.

The last sitting was on December 5 last year.

Similarly, the Federal Constitution requires MPs to attend Parliament at least once every six months, unless given permission not to.

Article 52 (1) of the Federal Constitution states: "If a member of either House of Parliament is without the leave of the House absent from every sitting of the House for a period of six months the House may declare his seat vacant". - Mkini