KUALA LUMPUR, June 29 — The federal government should just drop the idea of implementing the hybrid sitting of Parliament idea which would further delay its reopening to late August or early September, Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh said today.

Instead, the Opposition lawmaker suggested that priority be to reconvene it by next week.

He pointed out that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had today repeated his stand — originally made about two weeks ago — that Parliament needs to reconvene as soon as possible.

“This is not the first time that the King has indicated that Parliament ought to sit as soon as possible and it is certainly sound advice, having regard to the pandemic which has wreaked havoc in the country and its poor management by the government which needs to be urgently debated.

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“The prime minister should seriously consider the views of the King and advise His Majesty to reconvene Parliament immediately,” Ramkarpal said in a statement.

On June 16, Istana Negara had issued a statement on behalf of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong saying Parliament meetings should be held as quickly as possible.

The palace posted excerpts from the June 16 statement, highlighting the Agong’s views for the Parliament to be reconvened as soon as possible, on June 18.

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On June 25, Dewan Negara president Tan Sri Rais Yatim and Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun issued a joint statement proposing a special Parliament sitting in early August to pave the way for a hybrid Parliament.

Both House speakers also said that a hybrid Parliament sitting is possible only in late August or in the first week of September at the very latest, as preparations need to be made.

Ramkarpal said the fact that both Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara speakers had spoken of the special Parliament sitting in early August to discuss the technicalities of implementing a hybrid Parliament meant that MPs could actually have physical meetings.

“This clearly indicates that Parliament can sit physically and since all Members of Parliament have been vaccinated, there ought to be nothing to prevent an emergency sitting for at least a week to debate matters relating to the management of Covid and the said Emergency Ordinances,” he said.

Yesterday, de facto law minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan was reported by local daily New Straits Times as saying that a notice to reconvene Parliament could only be issued after Emergency ends as the related laws would come into force again after that, also reported as saying that the prime minister would decide on a suitable date to reconvene before notifying the speaker who would then notify MPs within 28 days before the sitting convenes.

Ramkarpal however indicated that Parliament’s own rules allow for a Parliament sitting to be held urgently on a shorter notice instead of the 28 days.

“This is unnecessary as the said 28 day notice can be dispensed with under Order 9(2)(a) of the Standing Orders of the Dewan Rakyat.

“Indeed, this was done when an emergency sitting of Parliament was had following the MH17 tragedy in 2014.

“In light of the above, I urge the Prime Minister to advise the King to convene an emergency sitting of Parliament which can be held as soon as early July,” the DAP national legal bureau chairman said.

“The government should abandon the idea of a hybrid sitting of Parliament in light of the grave urgency that has arisen as a result of the pandemic, as such a hybrid sitting will take months to materialise.

“The Prime Minister should act now and enable Parliament to sit as early as next week,” he said, adding that this will give effect to the Agong’s views that it is imperative for Parliament to sit as soon as possible.