THE Dewan Rakyat today agreed to end sittings for the next three days by 1pm after several Dewan Negara staff tested positive for Covid-19.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law) Takiyuddin Hassan’s motion to sit from 10am till 1pm was adopted unanimously.

Yesterday’s meeting also ended by lunch after Takiyuddin said a Dewan Negara staffer had tested positive for Covid 19.

Before the motion was passed, Mahfuz Omar (Pokok Sena-PH) asked Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun whether it was true if four Parliament staff and auxiliary police were infected.

“There were auxiliary police who were infected but the Prime Minister’s Office police personnel were stationed elsewhere and not at Parliament, as reported,” said Azhar.

Dr Maszlee Malik (Simpang Renggam-Ind) asked if Parliament could provide more details of the movements of the infected Dewan Negara officer.

“I share the same office as the Senator (Ras Adiba Radzi) and it’s important to know when was the last time the infected staff came to Parliament and such,” said the former Education Minister.

Azhar said the infected staff had tested positive last Wednesday.

“But they did not hang around Parliament,” said the speaker.

Yesterday, Health Director-General Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said an auxiliary policeman and media personnel were among the Covid-19 cases linked to Parliament. – November 3, 2020.