Agong repeats call for Parliament sitting in audience with speakers, deputies

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong today repeated his view that a Parliament sitting should be held as quickly as possible, following an audience with the leaders of the two Houses as well as their deputies at Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur.

Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah said the audience with Dewan Negara president Rais Yatim, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Harun and their deputies Mohamad Ali Mohamad, Mohd Rashid Hasnon and Azalina Othman Said, followed the special meeting of the Malay rulers held on June 16.

“His Majesty is of the view that a Parliament sitting needs to be held as quickly as possible, following the Covid-19 guidelines and SOPs set by the government and Parliament,” read a statement issued by the Comptroller of the Royal Household, Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin.

It said this was to allow the declaration of emergency and emergency ordinance to be tabled as provided for in Article 150 (3) of the Federal Constitution.

Sultan Abdullah also said that all Committees of Selection should continue their meetings for the implementation of checks and balances to ensure transparency, integrity and responsibility in administration, especially in issues of public policy and society as well as financial matters and state expenditure.

The statement added that the views expressed were the stand of the Agong as well as the Malay rulers in their capacity as constitutional monarchs based on the supremacy of the constitution and the rule of law.

The Agong’s initial statement was issued in the wake of a special meeting of the Malay rulers. It was followed by a separate statement by the rulers themselves, voicing support for the king’s stand.

They also said they saw no need for the emergency period to extend beyond its scheduled deadline of Aug 1.

The state of emergency was declared in January amid a spike in Covid-19 infections which also saw the enforcement of the second movement control order across large parts of the country.

Under the emergency declaration, Parliament and state assembly sittings have been suspended.

Putrajaya said on June 4 that it was considering a hybrid system for Parliament proceedings involving a combination of physical and virtual attendance by lawmakers.