PUTRAJAYA, March 5 ― The postponement of the first meeting of the third session of the 14th Parliament was made after taking into consideration a number of factors, especially the line up of Cabinet ministers and deputy ministers which is being finalised, the Prime Minister's Department (JPM) said in a statement here today.
The Dewan Rakyat sitting scheduled for March 9 has been postponed to May 18.
JPM said the postponement was needed to give reasonable time to the Cabinet line up to understand the duties of the ministries and their respective departments.
“It is also to enable the ministers appointed to be ready to reply to questions during the Minister's Question Time (MQT); oral questions, debates; table bills and motions when Parliament sits,” said JPM.
The postponement also gives an opportunity to MPs to submit questions for oral or written answers and table new motions that are relevant to current issues, it added.
JPM said the postponement was made in accordance to the relevant Standing Orders, and it was confirmed to be in order by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof.
“The institution of Parliament must be respected by all levels of society, including the MPs themselves,”JPM said.
Following a week of political uncertainty after the 20-month-old Pakatan Harapan government collapsed on Feb 24 when Bersatu pulled out of the ruling coalition, the King appointed Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as the new prime minister on Feb 29.
Earlier, His Majesty had held one-on-one interviews with MPs of the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat and also with leaders of political parties.
The King then exercised his constitutional powers to appoint Muhyiddin as the new prime as in His Majesty's judgement, the Pagoh MP was likely to command the confidence of the majority of MPs.
Muhyiddin was sworn in as Malaysia's 8th Prime Minister at Istana Negara, Kuala Lumpur the next day (March 1). ― Bernama
