KUALA LUMPUR: The number of individuals, including MPs, allowed to be present at the first meeting of the fourth session of the 14th Parliament beginning Sept 6 will be restricted as a preventive measure against the spread of Covid-19, deputy speaker Mohd Rashid Hasnon said.
He said this was to ensure the session runs smoothly and to prevent further Covid-19 transmissions like what had transpired during the special four-day sitting at the end of July.
In this regard, he said the Dewan Rakyat committee, based on advice by the health ministry and the National Security Council (MKN), will hold discussions with both the government and opposition chief whips soon to determine the number of MPs allowed to attend.
“Let us learn from what happened during the recent special sitting. We need more solid preventive measures in place,” he said after handing out food baskets to 50 veteran artistes in a programme organised by the Malaysian Veteran Artistes Welfare Association (PKAVM) in Desa Melawati here today.
The special sitting of the third session of the 14th Parliament for the Dewan Rakyat had been scheduled to take place from July 26 to July 29, and Aug 2, but only met for four days and was postponed after Covid-19 cases were detected in the Parliament building.
Up to Aug 8, a total of 88 positive cases were detected involving individuals who attended the special sitting.
As for the motion of confidence on Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin that is expected to be tabled in the upcoming meeting, Rashid said Parliament has yet to receive such a motion.
“We still have not received any such motion. For government motions, the submission period is not that far off from the date of the sitting as compared with private motions which need to be submitted 14 days before,” he said.
Prior to this, Muhyiddin said his legitimacy as prime minister and the Perikatan Nasional-led (PN) government’s position will be determined in Parliament in September through a vote of confidence.
Meanwhile, Rashid said notification for MPs is in the distribution process to enable them to prepare their questions and other matters.
The Dewan Rakyat will sit for 15 days from Sept 6 to 30, while a second meeting will run for 32 days from Oct 25 to Dec 16.
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah will officiate the opening of the meeting on Sept 6.
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