PAKATAN Harapan today rubbished the reasons given by a Perikatan Nasional (PN) minister why Parliament cannot be convened during the current emergency rule.

Its secretariat council described the reasons given by de facto law minister Takiyuddin Hassan – many lawmakers are high-risk cases and no laws will be passed during the emergency period – as weak and shallow.

The council said in a statement that this simply showed that PN does not respect Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah’s consent for Parliament to meet during the emergency.

“All the reasons given are weak, superficial and do not respect his majesty’s advice on February 24 that Parliament can convene during an emergency,” the statement read.

The statement was signed by PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Iskandar, Amanah secretary-general Mohd Hatta Ramli and DAP organising secretary Anthony Loke.

They said there is no reason for Parliament not to convene soon when the conditional MCO (CMCO) and recovery MCO (RMCO) have replaced the stricter movement control order (MCO).

“When more economic sectors are allowed to operate, and when the executive and the judiciary can function, there is no reason for Parliament not to convene soon.

“The cabinet needs to uphold the decree of his majesty and also advise his majesty to call for Parliament immediately,” they said.

Takiyuddin today said the cabinet will not advise the king to allow the house to sit during this period.

Referring to Takiyuddin’s claim that a number of MPs are in the Covid-19 high-risk age group, the council said that they were able to sit for 55 days in Parliament last year without any risk of infections.

This was despite the fact not a single MP received the vaccines then as adherence to SOP ensured the parliamentary sessions went on smoothly.

“During the 55 days Parliament convened in 2020, not a single MP was infected with Covid-19 in Parliament and none of the Covid-19 clusters came as a result of the Parliamentary sessions.

“It also should be noted that at that time, not a single member of Parliament had received the vaccine.

“In fact this proves the measures and SOP taken during the parliamentary session were effective. Parliament can sit now without any delay,” they added. – March 3, 2021.