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PUTRAJAYA: Chief Health Officer Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah said that today’s Dewan Rakyat meeting was interrupted to reduce the risk of MPs and Parliament staff members being infected with Covid-19.
Speaking at a press conference today, he said the reduction in hours in Parliament meant there was less exposure to the virus in a confined and crowded space.
“If you look at the sign, it says to avoid crowded places and tight spaces. In crowded places, the longer it is exposed, the greater the chances of getting infected, if there is a positive case (in the area). “
Noor Hisham said that the Covid-19 detection had been done on all MPs and Parliament staff three days before the Dewan Rakyat started. Such evidence led to Senator Ras Adiba Mohd Radzi’s special officer being found positive for Covid-19.
He said 12 close contacts of the aide had been identified so far. All of them are currently in quarantine while they await test results.
Noor Hisham said an auxiliary police officer had also tested positive for the virus, with close contact tests finding four other cases of Covid-19.
A media worker also tested positive and seven members of his family were tested.
Despite these examinations, Noor Hisham said the risk of infection was always present, as MPs and Parliament staff could be asymptomatic or bring the virus from the community.
“The parliamentary session will last six weeks. This means that for six weeks they will be exposed to the virus outside. We don’t know who is positive or who is the carrier, unless we test them every two weeks. “
He urged everyone in Dewan Rakyat to adhere to SOPs and ensure they practice physical distancing of up to 1m, wash their hands frequently, and wear their masks correctly.
The Dewan Rakyat ended his session at 1 p.m. instead of 5:30 p.m. today after it was revealed that the Dewan Negara staff member had tested positive for Covid-19.
The announcement came after speaker Azhar Harun met with 10 MPs about half an hour after the chamber reconvened at 10 a.m.
De facto Law Minister Takiyuddin Hassan said that the decision was made under Standing Order 12 (1) due to Covid-19 and that the times of the sessions will be decided daily.
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