KUALA LUMPUR, June 29 ― Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon indicated today that Parliament would be convening “soon”, in remarks following his audience with the Yang diPertuan Agong this morning.

In a brief press conference after exiting Istana Negara, Rashid said he, the Speakers of the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara as well as their deputies all gave their opinions to the Agong on the feasibility of reconvening Parliament during their audience.

“God willing, I'll see you soon for the parliament sitting, either through a normal parliamentary sitting or through a hybrid parliament,” he said to the press.

Earlier this morning, Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun, Tan Sri Rais Yatim, Rashid, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said and Datuk Seri Mohamad Ali Mohamad arrived at the Istana Negara for an audience with Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah regarding the reopening of the Parliament.

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The audience concluded around noon, with all of the attendees exiting the Istana Negara soon after.

Earlier this week, Rashid had expressed his confidence that Parliament was ready to convene in a hybrid manner at any time as they were finalising the technical aspects required for such a sitting.

Earlier this month, Sultan Abdullah had held private audiences with top political leaders, reportedly to personally ask their opinions on the country’s Covid-19 situation that deteriorated despite the Emergency proclaimed in January.

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On June 16, the Agong said that Parliament should convene as soon as possible to enable proper discussion of the Emergency Ordinance and Malaysia’s Covid-19 recovery plan.

Throughout the state of Emergency, political leaders from both sides of the divide have urged Prime Minister Tan Sri Mubyiddin Yassin to urgently reconvene Parliament.

The Emergency is scheduled to end on August 1 and an extension appears unlikely as the Conference of Rulers expressly said they saw no need for it to continue past that date.