Allow virtual Parliament, Teresa Kok tells govt

 

Seputeh MP Teresa Kok questioned the reluctance of the government in amending the standing orders to allow for remote Parliament sittings. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Seputeh MP Teresa Kok has urged the government to speed up the amendment of parliamentary standing orders to allow for the Dewan Rakyat sittings to be conducted virtually following the decision today to limit the number of MPs in the house.

“I urge the prime minister and the Perikatan Nasional government to stop undermining the function of Parliament and stop frustrating the MPs’ role in the legislature body, as well as speed up the process of amending the parliamentary standing orders and let Parliament go virtual urgently,” she said in a statement today.

This comes after the government made a ruling today that only 80 of the 222 MPs will be allowed in the Dewan Rakyat at any one time from tomorrow, and sittings will be held from 10am to 2pm from Monday.

Deputy speaker Rashid Hasnon said 41 of the 80 MPs will be from PN and the rest from the opposition as well as independents.

Teresa Kok.

Kok claimed the ruling is another trick used by the PN government to undermine the role and function of Parliament.

“The whole nation is appalled by the new directive of Parliament to limit only 80 MPs to attend Dewan Rakyat sittings under the pretext of reducing the risk of Covid-19 spreading.”

She questioned the reluctance of the government to amend the parliamentary standing orders despite the idea being suggested multiple times.

“Senior MP Lim Kit Siang had repeatedly suggested since April this year that Parliament and the PN government conduct virtual parliamentary sittings, but his suggestions fell on deaf ears,” she said.

Citing other countries that have reviewed and updated their legislative rules and framework to adapt to the present circumstances, she urged Malaysia to do the same.

“Brazil, Finland, Latvia, South Africa and Spain are such examples. New Zealand’s House of Representatives and the UK’s House of Commons have formally amended parliamentary standing orders to allow for remote sittings.

“Parliament just needs to amend the standing orders to allow virtual parliamentary sessions to be conducted, and in fact, this can be done very quickly if there is the political will and if the PN government respects the legislative body,” Kok said. - FMT