MUHYIDDIN AXES MAHATHIR’S NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE USING HIS POWERS AS HEAD OF DEWAN RAKYAT: SURELY MAHATHIR MUST KNOW THIS COULD HAPPEN – OR HAS HE ‘MUDAH LUPA’

FORMER prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s motion of no-confidence against Muhyiddin Yassin will not see the light of day as the Perikatan Nasional government has limited the one-day Parliament sitting to the Royal Address.

In a letter addressed to all MPs today, Dewan Rakyat secretary Riduan Rahmat said that the prime minister had informed Parliament that the meeting on May 18 is purely restricted to the Royal Address.

Not even government matters on financing for Covid-19 mitigation packages are on the agenda, unlike the notice for the Dewan Rakyat secretary that was first issued to MPs on April 17.

“We wish to inform you that the prime minister, as head of the Dewan Rakyat, has informed Speaker Mohamad Ariff Yusof on May 12 under Standing Orders 11(2) and 15(2) that the sitting on Monday is only for the Royal Address.

“This is in line with the situation where the country is still recovering from the Covid-19 outbreak,” Riduan said in today’s letter.

“As such, this notice is to confirm that the official opening of the Dewan Rakyat’s first meeting for 2020 will begin at 10am.”

Included in the letter is the Order Paper, which showed only one item: the Royal Address.

The new instruction differs from Riduan’s earlier letter dated April 17, which said that the Dewan Rakyat will continue with government business and bills after the Royal Address, although there will not be any question-and-answer session with the government.

With the change of agenda, Perikatan will no longer have to face the possibility of debating Dr Mahathir’s no-confidence motion against Muhyiddin.

On May 8, Ariff had announced that Dr Mahathir’s motion had been accepted.

Dr Mahathir had submitted a notice of motion to Ariff on May 4, just in time to meet the 14-day advance notice requirement before the sitting.

The change of agenda also means that the government will not be seeking Parliament’s approval for additional funds to combat the Covid-19 outbreak.

The government had rolled out a RM260 billion package to stimulate the economy.

Of this, RM20 billion was announced on February 27 by then interim prime minister Dr Mahathir.

The country began a movement control order on March 18, which has been extended with relaxed conditions to June 9. – May 13, 2020.

The new instruction for the Dewan Rakyat sitting on Monday and the Order Paper, which shows only one item on the agenda: the Royal Address.

THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT