PARLIAMENT must reconvene as soon as possible, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah has decreed after chairing a meeting of the Conference of Rulers today.

The king said that reconvening Parliament would allow lawmakers to debate the Emergency Ordinances and National Recovery Plan to exit the Covid-19 pandemic.

“After taking into consideration the views of all political party leaders, the special independent committee on the emergency 2021, and briefings from various experts from government agencies, His Highness is of the view that Parliament must reconvene as soon as possible.

“His Highness is aware of Parliament’s role as an important platform for elected representatives to discuss the Covid-19 pandemic.

“MPs can discuss the government’s expenditure to help the people and restore the economy,” the king said in a statement issued by Comptroller of the Royal Household Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin. 

The government also needs to speed up the pace of the national Covid-19 immunisation programme by “easing bureaucracy and expediting vaccinations” to achieve herd immunity at 80% of the population, Sultan Abdullah said.

“The curve must be flattened immediately and vaccination is the only ‘exit strategy’ to control the spread of Covid-19.”

The Conference of Rulers met today after separate meetings the king held with political party heads last week.

Yesterday, Sultan Abdullah also held separate meetings with Arifin Zakaria, who heads the Special Independent Committee on the Emergency, and with Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

These meetings were held amid growing calls for Parliament to reconvene as Covid-19 cases spiked despite the state of emergency declared in January to fight the pandemic.

Parliamentary sittings, state legislative assemblies and elections, have been suspended under the emergency, prompting criticism of Muhyiddin and his government for avoiding checks and balances.

In February, the king had decreed that Parliament should meet even during a state of emergency.

The emergency is to end on August 1.

Muhyiddin yesterday said Parliament could reconvene in September or October and when daily Covid-19 cases drop to below 2,000.

This is part of his government’s four-phased national recovery plan to exit the pandemic.

However, critics, including opposition MPs, have questioned his rationale to let Parliament sit only when cases are below 2,000, as all MPs are already vaccinated. – June 16, 2021.