Harapan prepared to join ‘hybrid Parliament committee’ with conditions

 

The Pakatan Harapan presidential council said it is prepared to join the committee evaluating the reopening of Parliament, but on condition that this does not lead to any delay in the reopening.

It insisted that Parliament must be reconvened before the current state of emergency expires on Aug 1.

“The presidential council is of the view that the setting up of this committee cannot become an excuse to delay the parliamentary sitting.

“Therefore, Pakatan Harapan is prepared to join the committee with the condition that Parliament will still be convened as soon as possible, before Aug 1,” it said in a statement today.

The statement was jointly signed by PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu, and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

They said the coalition will also organise a petition among MPs to be presented to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to show that most MPs support reopening the Parliament as soon as possible.

Parliamentary proceedings have been suspended since the emergency was promulgated on Jan 11.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin originally announced that Parliament would be reopened during the third phase of the National Recovery Plan expected in September or October, depending on the Covid-19 situation in the country.

However, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah decreed last week that Parliament should be reconvened as soon as possible to debate the emergency laws and the National Recovery Plan.

The government has since announced that a committee would be set up to study the reconvening of Parliament, including whether to convene it as a ‘hybrid’ session combining physical and virtual attendance.

Muhyiddin has assured that the committee will involve opposition representatives. - Mkini