LAW minister Takiyuddin Hassan blamed the opposition for failing to understand legal provisions that allow three MPs under home quarantine to appear in Parliament today.

The Prevention and Control of Infections Diseases Act (Act 342) allowed for it, he said in a tweet shortly after the opposition bloc walked out during a division vote for the Federal Territories Ministry budget today.

“Parliament is still practising democracy. The director-general of health is using power under Section 15 of Act 342 to allow special permission for three MPs under quarantine to vote while wearing complete PPE (personal protective equipment).

“The opposition walked out, they either don’t understand or can’t stand it,” Takiyuddin tweeted.

The minister in the Prime Minister’s Department also tweeted the cover of Act 342 and Section 15 (1) which states that “an authorised officer may order any contact to undergo observation in such place and for such period as he may think fit”.

The three MPs are Health Minister Dr Adham Baba (Tenggara-BN), Human Resource Minister M. Saravanan (Tapah-BN) and P. Prabakaran (Batu-PH) who were given home surveillance orders (HSO) after coming into close contact with Covid-19 positive persons.

The Dewan Rakyat was informed of their HSOs last week. 

Following that, Dewan Rakyat secretary Nizam Mydin Bacha Mydin issued a statement to say that the three could still attend Parliament if they get an approval from director-general of health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

Dewan Rakyat speaker Azhar Azizan Harun earlier today said the three MPs had applied to Noor Hisham to be allowed to take part in the voting process in Parliament.

Takiyuddin’s tweet and jibe at the opposition, however, was not well received on Twitter.

“Willing to do anything for the sake of voting,” tweeted @miqaelridzuan.

“What a shame PN, insulted as they can’t defend their back-door government with no mandate from the people, shame on you,” tweeted @callme_bull.

“Pity this back-door government. Hiding behind Health Ministry. The people are not so stupid to think that you are heroes of the law,” tweeted an Amer Mohamed.

Perikatan Nasional has a slim majority of 112 MPs in the 222-seat chamber while the opposition has 108 after the deaths of the Batu Sapi and Gerik MPs Liew Vui Keong and Hasbullah Osman. – December 14, 2020.