KUALA LUMPUR (July 5): Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin will advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to hold a five-day special parliamentary sitting from July 26 to 29 as well as on Aug 2 for the Dewan Rakyat, and another three days from Aug 3 to 5 for Dewan Negara.
A statement by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) today shows that the government has agreed and that all the Cabinet ministers have been informed of this decision.
"The purpose of the sitting is to brief Members of Parliament on the National Recovery Plan and to amend all laws and regulations to enable parliamentary sittings to be held in a hybrid manner.
"Pursuant to Clause (3) of Article 150 of the Federal Constitution, all emergency proclamations and ordinances made by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong will be tabled before both Houses of Parliament," the PMO said.
It added that the special parliamentary sittings will be held according to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set by the National Security Council and the Ministry of Health (MoH).
Last week, de facto law and parliament minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan committed that Parliament will reconvene before the Aug 1 end of the state of emergency, saying that the matter will be finalised in a Cabinet meeting on July 7.
This followed a statement from Dewan Negara President Tan Sri Dr Rais Yatim and Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun two days before, saying the Agong had decreed that Parliament must reconvene before Aug 1.
The pair, along with their deputies, were granted an audience by the monarch last Tuesday (June 29). Prior to that, the Agong granted meetings with political leaders from June 9 to 15, after which the Special Conference of Rulers was held.
Following that, the Palace had twice issued statements saying the Agong believes that Parliament could and should be reconvened as soon as possible.