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KUALA LUMPUR: The Dewan Rakyat will end their session today at 1pm instead of 5:30 pm due to Covid-19 fears, after it was revealed that several Dewan Negara staff members had tested positive and several members Dewan Rakyat’s staff may also be infected.
De facto Law Minister Takiyuddin Hassan told MPs, who were confused and upset by the announcement, that a decision will be made daily on the times of the sessions.
The announcement came after speaker Azhar Harun met with 10 MPs about half an hour after the chamber reconvened at 10 a.m.
The 10 were Mohamed Azmin Ali (PPBM-Gombak), Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (BN-Bagan Datuk), Ismail Sabri Yaakob (Umno-Bera), Shahidan Kassim (BN-Arau), Takiyuddin Hassan (PAS-Kota Bahru), Anthony Loke (DAP-Seremban), Johari Abdul (PKR-Sungai Petani), Hasanuddin Mohd Yunus (PAS-Hulu Langat) and Rozman Isli (Warisan-Labuan).
Takiyuddin said the decision was made under Standing Order 12 (1) due to Covid-19.
He said that Parliament was under the Segambut district and the Health Ministry has said that the risk of Covid-19 infection is high.
“Based on the meeting (with the speaker), all MPs have agreed (to end the session early),” he said, prompting M Kula Segaran (DAP-Ipoh Barat) to urge the speaker to hold a virtual parliamentary meeting.
Lim Guan Eng (DAP-Bagan) said he was not informed of the decision and proposed more time before more decisions were made.
Earlier, Takiyuddin said the daily session could end at 1 pm this week, but took a 180-degree turn after opposition MPs pressed him for a response. Then he said that a decision will be made daily.
He assured those unhappy with the decision that it will not affect budget discussions.
“These are the new developments that concern us,” he said.
He also said it will take more than two hours a day, from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., for the sanitation team to clean the house.
“I am not a doctor, but the Ministry of Health says the risk is high since we are close (proximity) despite transparent barriers (between parliamentarians).
“The longer we are here, the greater the risk,” he said.
There was also an exchange of words between the speaker and a PKR MP.
M. Karupaiya (PKR-Padang Serai) commented that it was better to change the government, irritating Azhar, who asked, “What does this have to do with this Standing Order?”
Hanipa Maidin (Amanah-Sepang) told Azhar not to respond on behalf of the minister.
Azhar: Who Responds?
Hanipa: Just now he (Karupaiya) asked and you answered.
Kula Segaran said that many countries are holding virtual parliamentary meetings for their MPs, to which Azhar called for a voice vote, in which the majority of MPs accepted such meetings online.
However, no decision was made to hold the Dewan Rakyat sessions virtually.
