Former academic Azmi Hassan said the government might feel forced to call soon for a Parliament session now that some sultans have given their consent for state assemblies to go ahead.

He pointed out that several states were seeking mainly to discuss Covid-19 matters in their respective state assemblies.

He also noted that MPs from DAP and Barisan Nasional had promised not to table a no-confidence motion against the government when Parliament convenes.

“No political party in its right mind would want to be seen as pushing for an election or for Parliament to dissolve because people may accuse it of prioritising political agendas over the pandemic,” he told FMT.

He said the Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration would “look foolish” if it continued to delay the sitting of Parliament once state assemblies had resumed.

“Opposition states are not the only ones proposing for their assemblies to reopen,” he said. “Even those under Muhyiddin Yassin’s PN such as Johor, Perlis and Pahang have done the same.”

He added that only PAS-held states were adopting a wait-and-see approach.

The lack of action by Terengganu, Kelantan and Kedah is unlikely to cause a loss of support for PAS, according to Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs.

“PAS retains its support mainly through its tremendous Islamic religious credentials, which triumphs over everything else in the eyes of its ardent supporters,” he said.

He also said there there was little anyone could do if the government was adamant about delaying the reopening of Parliament.

He added that holding a Parliament session was “harmless” for PN because it still had the power to block motions of no-confidence.

“Even the budget vote, which is often construed as a motion of no-confidence, could be avoided as long as the emergency is in place and the government can move the budget as an ordinance.

Syed Arabi Idid of International Islamic University Malaysia said the most urgent problems to be addressed at state-level were matters related to the economy, such as unemployment and destitution.

“The opposing parties are expected to contribute to solving these issues,” he said. “They are also there to guard against any abuses by the government.”

Johor, Perlis, Selangor, Melaka, Penang, Sabah, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang are planning to reconvene their legislative assemblies, a move seen as defying the PN-led federal government’s stand.

Some states have fixed the dates for their sittings and others are awaiting consent from their heads of state.