KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 4 — Deputy Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon today reminded Members of Parliament (MPs) not to remove their face masks when speaking and debating.
He said removing the face mask would increase the risk of Covid-19 infection in the Dewan Rakyat.
“Speaking loudly without a face mask increases aerosol particles and will further increase the risk of Covid-19 infection in the august hall.
“I ask the Honourable members to understand what the Speaker has said before,” he said after Datuk Mahfuz Omar (PH-Pokok Sena) finished his turn to speak on the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), without wearing a face mask.
Earlier, M Karupaiya (PH-Padang Serai) stood up to ask the Speaker to allow MPs who wanted to speak to take off their face masks because he claimed that many of them were seen to have difficulty breathing while speaking.
However, Mohd Rashid did not allow it prompting Mahfuz to stand up to argue that wearing a face mask when speaking can be dangerous to the health of individuals because they are likely to suffer from wheezing.
RSN Rayer (PH-Jelutong) supported Mahfuz’s recommendation and asked the speaker to consider the matter because according to him if MPs who were speaking experienced breathing difficulty, they faced the risk of fainting and this would cause problems.
Mahfuz then continued to speak without wearing a face mask. — Bernama
