KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 — Dewan Rakyat MPs will now have to undergo Covid-19 testing in order to attend the special one-day Parliament sitting on May 18.
Malaysiakini reported Bukit Bendera MP Wong Hon Wai as confirming that he had received a letter from Dewan Rakyat secretary Riduan Rahmat, stating that MPs attending the sitting must present themselves for the test, so as to ensure everyone’s safety.
The screening tests are to be carried out in the Parliament complex between 9am and 3pm on May 14 and 15, the report added.
Alternatively, MPs can also opt to be tested at any public hospital or clinic, which will nonetheless require official letters affirming the tests took place two to three days before May 18. Those who choose private facilities for the test will have to do so at their own expense.
In the letter, Riduan said MPs who fail to take the test will be prohibited from attending the sitting.
In a meeting with Pakatan Harapan representatives yesterday, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Mohamad Ariff Md Yusoff informed them that all MPs must undergo testing at least two days before May 18.
It is understood that his office is currently liaising with the Health Ministry in granting Sabah and Sarawak MPs an exemption from the mandatory 14-day quarantine after they travel back from KL, although another source was quoted as saying that since both states have their own health departments, they should be checked as well.
Both Sabah and Sarawak have imposed the requirement for all state citizens travelling from the peninsula or other Borneo territories to undergo the quarantine period.
