First, the DAP veteran pointed out that the schedule did not provide for a royal address by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, who will lay out the government’s policies for the rest of the year.

Second, he said, the five-day Dewan Rakyat and three-day Dewan Negara sittings were insufficient for Parliament to debate on the royal address.

“Last year, the debate on the royal address took 15 days in the Dewan Rakyat and eight days in the Dewan Negara.

“How can a five-day meeting in the Dewan Rakyat and a three-day meeting in the Dewan Negara be adequate for the restoration of Parliament?” the Bandar Puteri MP asked in a statement.

Third, Lim said, the government’s schedule violated Article 150(3) of the Constitution, which required the emergency proclamation and ordinances to be laid before both houses of Parliament.

Noting that the Dewan Negara was proposed to meet on Aug 3, he said this was in violation of the Constitution as the emergency would end by Aug 1.

Last, he said, there were many serious and urgent matters requiring the MPs’ debate and attention, including parliamentary reforms to effectively win the war against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lim said there was an urgent need for a new strategy and approach to battle the pandemic and a debate on the 12th Malaysia Plan, which was already some eight months behind time.

He said it was a relief that the prime minister was not facing any “life-threatening situation”, but asked why Muhyiddin Yassin could chair a National Security Council (MKN) meeting from the hospital but not an emergency meeting for the Cabinet to properly convene Parliament as soon as possible.

“The Cabinet meeting tomorrow should rectify the parliament schedule for both houses of Parliament to comply with both the Constitution and the respective standing orders of both houses,” he said.