KUALA LUMPUR, April 26 — The Malaysia United Democratic Alliance (Muda) has questioned the government’s decision to reopen schools amid the Covid-19 pandemic as well as the Emergency, in light of the fact that Parliament remains suspended during this period for this very reason.

In a statement today, Muda information chief Zaidel Baharuddin also asked if the government valued the health of Members of Parliament (MPs) more than that of primary school children.

"Then the second question arises, why is the government willing to risk the health of school students and is confident with its plans to manage millions of students, but cannot manage to conduct Parliament, which only involves a small number of parliamentarians and their officials?” he added.

He also pointed out that the majority of MPs had received their Covid-19 jabs unlike school students, teaching staff and parents, which means the risk of infection in Parliament is far lower than in schools.

Zaidel was responding to a statement by de facto law minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan earlier today, where he said the government had not reconvened Parliament because it prioritised containing the Covid-19 pandemic and the health of MPs and other parliamentary officials.

Takiyuddin said that Parliament would be reconvened on the advice of the Health Ministry and the National Security Council, at "an appropriate time” before or after the end of the Emergency period on August 1.

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah previously consented to the proclamation of Emergency in the country until August 1, or until the current wave of Covid-19 infections has subsided.