KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 — PAS minister Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan advised Malaysians to be patient and wait for the nationwide Emergency to end on August 1 for Parliament to reconvene.

The minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Parliament and the law gave an assurance that the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government is not side-stepping democratic practices even as he insisted that that priority should be given to end the spread of Covid-19.

"While the Emergency is in force, the government’s priority is to combat Covid-19 and our priority is to fight the disease. So this is not the time.

"I acknowledge that Parliament is an important element in the democratic process as is its role in formulating laws,” Takiyuddin was quoted by Sinar Harian as telling reporters in Pendang, Kedah yesterday.

He said that during an Emergency, the government has options in making laws, and cited the Emergency Ordinance which is issued in the name of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, stressing that it is effectively the same as laws made in Parliament.

"So, after the Emergency ends, Parliament will sit, we won’t run away. Anyways, there’s only six months 20 days left to this Emergency, unlike the previous instance which lasted for two years,” he was quoted saying further.

Takiyuddin also gave an assurance that the PN government does not interfere with matters discussed by the Emergency Independent Special Committee 2021.

"It is an independent committee, they only provide advice to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong where its chairman and the 18 members convene among themselves, without having to report to the government nor provide it advice. We are not related,” he was quoted as saying.