LET’S welcome the joint statement by the Dewan Rakyat speaker Azhar Azizan Harun and Senate president Rais Yatim on their proposal that a hybrid Parliament session be held in late August or the first week of September at the latest.

Both speakers have also suggested a special Parliament meeting in early August to make the necessary amendments to the Standing Orders and other issues.

Let’s take this as the middle ground instead of persistent disagreements. 

Call the special sitting what it is – a Special Meeting (Mesyuarat Khas) instead of a national conciliation sitting.

And let’s take a leaf from the UK’s House of Commons which sat on April 21, 2020, to debate a motion to allow members to participate either virtually or physically in the debating chamber. The motion read as follow:

“That this House is committed to taking all steps necessary to balance its responsibilities for continuing scrutiny of the executive, legislating and representation of the interests of constituents with adherence to the guidance issued by Public Health England and the restrictions placed upon all citizens of the UK, and is further committed, in pursuit of that aim, to allowing virtual participation in the House’s proceedings, to extending the digital capacity of those proceedings to ensure the participation of all Members, and to ensuring that its rules and procedures are adapted to permit as far as possible parity of treatment between Members participating virtually and Members participating in person.”

It was approved without a vote.

So, at the sitting of the Special Meeting, a similar motion can be debated and approved together with orders from the House to the Standing Order Committee (SOC) to consider amendments to the Standing Orders. Parliament can then be adjourned to allow the SOC to meet, deliberate and report to the House on hybrid proceedings.

The SOC is one of the Select Committees formed under Standing Order 78 (1) whose duty is to “consider from time to time and report on all matters relating to the Standing Orders which may be referred to it by the House”. Rightly therefore, it is the SOC that should report on amendments to the Standing Orders.

Now, the state of emergency ends on August 1. August 2 (Monday) is the first working day of the month. If the state of emergency is not extended, a notice of a Special Meeting to be held on August 5 (Thursday) or August 6 (Friday) may be issued by the parliament secretary. The Speaker can so determine under Standing Order 9 (2)(a).

The quorum under Standing Order 13 (1) suffices. Let the political leaders decide on the number. It is important to appreciate that the one-day sitting will allow the Speaker as the chairperson of the SOC to call for the SOC to meet, deliberate and report to the House.

So, can we take the middle ground? – June 26, 2021.

* Hafiz Hassan reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.