Use your power for Parliament recall, MP urges Speaker

 

Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil says the onus is on Dewan Rakyat speaker Azhar Harun to defend Parliament.

PETALING JAYA: Dewan Rakyat speaker Azhar Harun has been urged to assert his constitutional authority and state that Parliament can and should reconvene urgently.

Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil said the speaker, as head of the legislature, was co-equal with the prime minister, who leads the government, and the chief justice, who heads the judiciary.

“In this sense, the onus is on the speaker to defend Parliament by openly calling the prime minister to advise the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong to call for Parliament to convene while the emergency is in effect.

“I’m saddened that the speaker has not been more supportive in ensuring that His Majesty’s advice is adhered to,” he said, referring to a statement by Istana Negara in February.

The statement, issued by the Comptroller of the Royal Household, Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin, said Parliament could be reconvened by the King during the state of emergency, on the advice of the prime minister, and the perception that the emergency proclamation prevented Parliament from sitting was inaccurate.

Klang MP Charles Santiago said Azhar should use his power as speaker to persuade the prime minister to reconvene Parliament.

“The speaker should let the prime minister know that the situation has changed. There have been too many flip-flops.

“Parliament is closed because of Covid-19 but right now, the number of cases and deaths is skyrocketing. The rationale for suspending Parliament does not hold any more. The speaker should put his foot down,” he said.

Azhar had recently clarified remarks he made in January about whether parliamentary committees would be allowed to continue meeting.

He said the Emergency Ordinance that suspended Parliament also covered meetings of select committees. “I can’t go against the law,” he said. - FMT