Hamzah pooh-poohs hybrid Parliament, tells 'wannabe PM' to wait 3 months

 

Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin has poured cold water on a proposal to set up a hybrid Parliament during the emergency.

Instead, he reiterated his call that those who want Parliament to reopen should wait until herd immunity is achieved.

According to Sinar Harian, Hamzah questioned how Parliament's standing orders would be amended to accommodate a hybrid set-up.

"You have to sit down (and discuss) on a hybrid standing order first.

"How much time will that take? Two weeks? That's not enough," he was quoted as saying.

The proposal for a hybrid Parliament was announced by Hamzah's colleague, de facto Law Minister Takiyuddin Hassan.

A committee consisting of the Dewan Rakyat speaker, Dewan Negara president, a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Dewan Negara deputy president, both deputy speakers of the Dewan Rakyat, and Parliament's chief administrator is currently studying the proposal.

DAP has criticised the exclusion of the opposition from the committee.

Hamzah, meanwhile, has been against holding a virtual Parliament session and insists the House would reopen once enough people are vaccinated.

"Be patient. We have a vaccination programme. According to it... by September or October, we will achieve our goal.

"Then (Parliament) will be reopened. (Then you can) have fisticuffs, do anything.

"You (media) should tell everyone, especially the politician who really wants to be prime minister, to be patient for another three months," he said.

The last remark is believed to be a veiled jab at PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.

Critics have panned Hamzah's reasoning, as all MPs have been vaccinated.- Mkini