THE one-day Parliament sitting on May 18 is just too far away for lawmakers to gather and make collective measures on fighting the Covid-19 pandemic and what comes after that, said M. Kula Segaran.

The former minister instead said Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin should call for an immediate sitting, and if there are worries of such a gathering during the pandemic, it could be a virtual sitting.

“It is highly regrettable that the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government has only allocated a day for parliamentary sitting and that too, scheduled only on May 18.

“I urge the PN government to call for an emergency parliamentary sitting as soon as possible and before May 18 through a virtual sitting that will enable all MPs to air the concerns of their constituencies and convey decisive messages to the people they represent,” said the DAP lawmaker in a statement today.

He added that the people are worried with the overbearing stress on healthcare workers as well as on their own economic situation caused by the pandemic.

“We’ve also heard of a number of struggling business establishments that have found difficulty in getting approval from the International Trade and Industry Ministry (MITI) to open shop due to the flood of traffic on its online portal.

“It is pivotal to keep in mind that Parliament is especially critical now to assuage public fears and ensure swift delivery of resources to communities in need especially those who are undeserved or marginalised.”

He added there must also be an effective check and balance on the RM250 billion Prihatin Rakyat Economic Stimulus Package to ensure its effectiveness and delivery.

“How are we – the MPs in Malaysia, empowered to update our constituencies if Parliament does not sit and deliberate on critical issues impacting the rakyat during this crucial period?”

On Friday, Dewan Rakyat secretary Riduan Rahmat issued the sitting notification to MPs, saying Dewan Rakyat will sit for just one day on May 18.

According to the notice, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah will deliver the Royal Address at 10am.

The secretariat also informed MPs that only laws and government matters related to the fight against Covid-19 will be the focus of the proceedings.

As such, there will be no question and answer session or motions raised in the House.

Parliament was to meet on March 9 but was postponed to May 18 for a one-week meeting when PN took over administration following the collapse of the PH government.

PKR president and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim previously said PH will not be moving a no-confidence motion against Muhyiddin during the May 18 sitting, adding that opposition MPs also want the best in battling Covid-19 and its fallout.

Malaysia has 5,305 Covid-19 cases with 88 deaths as of yesterday. – April 19, 2020.