IN a continuing battle to get Parliament to convene under the emergency, Azalina Othman Said today highlighted a letter from the speaker of the British House of Commons, who had urged parliamentarians to play a role in ensuring its functions continue.

Azalina, the Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker, posted in Twitter a letter by Lindsay Hoyle, who in April had urged the need for the house to reconvene under the Covid-19 pandemic, saying that it could be held even virtually.

Azalina had twice before written open letters addressed to the government on the need for Parliament to convene even if the nation is under an emergency to fight the pandemic.

In her second letter last week, she suggested numerous standard operating procedure that could be used for MPs to convene, including by holding virtual sessions.

She also expressed her disappointment that her first letter in February for the Parliament to be allowed to convene was not adhered to.

Yesterday, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun slammed those calling for Parliament to be convened of using the issue for their political purposes.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, in announcing the emergency in January, said both parliament and state assemblies would be suspended during the emergency to allow the government to concentrate on fighting the pandemic.

Lindsay’s letter, as highlighted by Umno’s Pengerang MP, stated that lawmakers should be allowed to “participate in key parliamentary proceedings virtually, for example oral questions, urgent questions, statements and PMQs” if the pandemic was still causing physical presence to be prohibited.

Meanwhile, opposition leaders have slammed Azhar for not calling the government to open parliament.

DAP lawmaker Lim Kit Siang, recently praised Azalina for her stern statement in urging Putrajaya to open parliament.

Lim however criticised Azhar for the lack of leadership shown in the matter.

“Azhar has failed to uphold the power of the parliament as stated in the federal constitution,” he said in a statement.

Responding to the criticism, Azhar said some politicians quoted the Federal Constitution only when it suited them.

“Notwithstanding, I am now moved to explain a basic little thing which many of us profess to know in abundance but do little to understand, while some others do understand but elect to apply it only when it suits them.

“This little thing is known as the federal constitution,” said Azhar, who is also known as Art Harun.

Azhar said he was not a politician and did not have any political ambitions.

“Consequently, I do not feel the need for any political posturing nor any desire to dive into any political maelstrom for the purpose of thrusting myself into political populism.” – May 31, 2021.