JUNE 17 — It amazes me that Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan should say that the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong (the King) did not explicitly mention a date for when Parliament should reopen again. He was reported to have said:
“His Majesty did not specify any particular date, but said it should be held as soon as possible. So the Prime Minister can announce, for example, that Parliament will reopen in September or October.”
It looks like a child’s play on words.
Remember as a child when mum told us to do our homework as soon as possible and we told ourselves that mum did not state when but only said “as soon as possible”?
The King’s choice of words was careful and deliberate. His Majesty knows that he is a constitutional monarch who acts on advice. His Majesty knows what it takes to reconvene Parliament. It cannot be immediate. It cannot be on a particular date.
His Majesty must first promulgate an Emergency (Essential Powers) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 (Ordinance No. 1) that removes or deletes sections 14 and 15 of the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021 and have the amendments gazetted. Next, if the Parliament was last adjourned as opposed to being prorogue — the latter is by proclamation and there seems to be no proclamation to that effect — the Dewan Rakyat Rakyat Standing Orders (DRSO) No. 11 requires the Leader or Deputy of the House — the Leader being the prime minister — to determine at least 28 days before reconvening the Dewan Rakyat, i.e. the dates on which the Dewan Rakyat shall next meet after section 14 of Ordinance No. 1 is removed. The prime minister may vary the dates to meet.
Even so, if the prime minister represents to the Speaker that the public interest requires that the Dewan Rakyat should meet at an earlier date, the Speaker must give notice forthwith and the Dewan Rakyat must meet at the time stated in such notice.
The business set down for that day shall be appointed by the prime minister and notice thereof must be circulated not later than the time of meeting [DRSO No. 11(3)]
What is particularly important is, after the deletion of section 14 above, the Standing Orders Committee (SOC) of the Dewan Rakyat can meet to consider and deliberate on amendments, if necessary, to the DRSO to allow for hybrid proceedings.
The chairman of the SOC is the Speaker and there will be no reason to say that the Speaker’s hands are tied in calling for the SOC to meet.
Takiyuddin is right that the DRSO needs to be looked at if amendments are necessary. This is the job of the SOC — it does not require Superman.
So, let’s delete sections 14 and 15 of Ordinance No. 1. With respect, it can be done immediately, not as soon as possible, following which notice of the much-awaited sitting of Parliament can be issued. In the meantime, the SOC can meet.
As soon as possible need not be, as Takiyuddin said, September or October.
The how and when Parliament can reconvene as soon as possible has been explained above. But I stand corrected.
*This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
