Parliament: Proper preparations underway to ensure smooth sittings

CORONAVIRUS | Preparations are underway to ensure the Dewan Rakyat and Senate sittings this Monday are held smoothly and free of Covid-19.

Preparations are being carried out with the assistance of various agencies to ensure that the Parliament fully adheres to the standard operating procedures (SOP) set by the Health Ministry, although the sittings will be held for only one day.

Chief administrator of Parliament Kamis Samin said to ensure that the premises are free of the virus, all members of Parliament (MPs), senators and those on duty on that day must undergo screening tests for Covid-19.

A screening test was carried out today by the Health Ministry’s officers on Parliament staffers, contractors, cleaners as well as media practitioners.

“The MPs and senators will undergo the screening tomorrow and on Friday. This is to ensure all parties involved in the sittings are free from the virus because we do not want to create a Parliament cluster,” he told Bernama today.

The Fire and Rescue Department will also sanitise the main building on Sunday and after the sitting.

Besides the screening test, other SOPs which will be conducted are scanning body temperature of those entering the building, providing hand sanitisers at the main entrance as well as providing face masks for the MPs and senators.

“The seats are being arranged to ensure we comply with the social distancing regulation during the sittings, including utilising the seats allocated for government officers, invitees and escorts. We will make sure all members can enter the hall according to the SOP,” said Kamis.

He added that the management was working closely with the Health Ministry to ensure all preventive measures are taken.

The parliamentary sitting for this year was initially scheduled for March 9 to April 16 but was postponed to only one day on May 18 following the Covid-19 pandemic which sees the country put under the movement control order.

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah is expected to grace the opening ceremony of the first meeting of the third term of the 14th Parliament on Monday.

- Bernama