KUALA LUMPUR (June 29): Following meetings with political leaders and the Special Conference of Rulers over the past two weeks, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong today granted an audience to Dewan Negara President Tan Sri Dr Rais Yatim and Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun at Istana Negara to discuss the commencement of parliamentary sessions.
Also in attendance were Dewan Negara Deputy President Senator Datuk Seri Mohamad Ali Mohamad and both Deputy Speakers of Dewan Rakyat, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said and Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon.
In a statement by the palace today, Comptroller of the Royal Household Datuk Indera Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin said the one-hour meeting which started at around 11am this morning discussed mostly matters related to His Majesty’s view for Parliament to reconvene as soon as possible.
"This is to enable the Emergency Proclamation and Emergency Ordinance that have been issued before to be tabled and discussed in Parliament as stipulated in Article 150(3) of the Federal Constitution," he said.
Article 150(3) of the Federal Constitution refers to the requirement for any Emergency Proclamation and any ordinances promulgated during an emergency to be laid before both the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara for them to be passed.
Besides that, Ahmad Fadil said the Agong during the meeting expressed his view that all of the Select Committees under the 14th Parliament should continue their meetings as a check and balance mechanism to ensure transparency, integrity and accountable governance, especially in addressing public and social policy issues as well as financial affairs and national expenditure.
"During the meeting session, His Majesty expressed his appreciation and gratitude for the commitment and readiness of Parliament to reconvene parliamentary sessions as soon as possible.
"It should also be clarified that the opinions and requests expressed here (in the statement) are the stance of His Majesty and the Malay Rulers who are acting as the constitutional monarch based on the principles of the Federal Constitution and the rule of law," he added.
A series of meetings were held from June 9 to 15 between Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and 18 political leaders, which then culminated in the Special Conference of Rulers meeting on June 16.
Following that, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong decreed that Parliament should be reconvened "as soon as possible" to allow lawmakers to debate the Emergency Ordinance and the National Recovery Plan.
Parliament sittings have been suspended since the proclamation of emergency — which Putrajaya said would provide the government with the ability to mobilise all necessary resources to combat the Covid-19 pandemic — came into force on Jan 11.
The Emergency Ordinance is due to end on Aug 1, subject to advice by the Special Independent Committee on the Emergency 2021 on whether it can be lifted earlier or later.