PRIME Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s decision to set up a special bipartisan committee to study how to convene parliament is a delaying tactic, said DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

“There is absolutely nothing to study…(Muhyiddin) should just do it. That (he) is unwilling to do so, demonstrates his insincerity to obey the royal command to reconvene parliament.

“Even the special committee… is now seen as a delaying tactic and a political ploy to subvert the constitutional process,” Lim said in a statement today.

Muhyiddin yesterday announced the formation of the committee to look into convening parliament, which has not sat since a state of emergency was proclaimed in January to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.

Among the issues the committee will study is whether parliament should sit in person or virtually or a combination of both.

The committee was set up after the Yang di-Pertuan Agong decreed last week that parliament should meet “as soon as possible” to debate emergency ordinances and the national response to the pandemic. The Conference of Rulers ordered the same, and added that the state of emergency should not be extended when it ends on August 1.

On what should to be done, Lim said a physical meeting of all 220 MPs must first take place to amend the Standing Orders to enable the house to meet virtually.

“A physical meeting of parliament can be held within the standard 28 days notice given or a shorter period of a few days as decided by the prime minister in accordance with parliament Standing Order 11. 

“Should Muhyiddin stubbornly refuse to do so, MPs may have no choice but be compelled to appeal to the king to exercise his powers under section 14(1)(b) of the Emergency Ordinance 2021 to reconvene parliament,” Lim said, adding that the ordinance states that “Parliament must be called, prorogued or dissolved at a date deemed appropriate by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong”.

Umno has also called on Muhyiddin to summon Parliament within 14 days, calling the government’s attempt at stalling an insult to the monarchy, – June 21, 2021.