UNLIKE previous years, the first meeting of Parliament this year on May 18 will be for one day only for the royal address and to debate government matters involving the Covid-19 pandemic, a notice to all MPs said.

The letter by Dewan Rakyat secretary Riduan Rahmat said, as such, there will be no ministers’ question time or tabling of motions by MPs.

The letter dated April 17 was confirmed by two MPs and sighted by The Malaysian Insight.

The one-day sitting will be the first session of the third term of the 14th Parliament following the general elections in 2018.

The first session was originally scheduled to be held from March 9 to April 26 until the Pakatan Harapan government was ousted in early March through defections and plotting by sacked PKR leaders, a Bersatu faction, Umno and PAS.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who heads the new Perikatan Nasional government, then delayed the first session to May 18.

The Dewan Negara will also convene on May 18 for Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah’s address, and adjourn after he finishes his speech.

However, the Dewan Rakyat will continue its sitting to debate the government’s measures to address the Covid-19 pandemic.

This is expected to involve the RM250 billion economic stimulus package that Putrajaya has rolled out to help employers and businesses with wage subsidies, rental waivers, low-interest loans and cash handouts for workers in the low income (B40) and middle income (M40) groups.

Muhyiddin has said that a supplementary supply bill om the funds needed for the package will be brought before MPs.

After the PN coalition took over, PH demanded his legitimacy as prime minister be tested through a vote of confidence in the Dewan Rakyat, but Muhyiddin has staved off such calls.

Along with the letter from the Dewan Rakyat secretary to MPs, a calendar has marked July 13 to August 27 as dates for the Dewan Rakyat’s second session, and September 2 to 23 for the Dewan Negara.

The third and final session of the year will be from September 28 to November 26 for the Dewan Rakyat, and November 30 to December 10 for the Dewan Negara. – April 17, 2020.