THE Dewan Rakyat speaker and Dewan Negara president have been summoned by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah for an audience on Tuesday, according to a source. 

“It is believed that the meeting will discuss parliamentary-related issues, including the hybrid Parliament proposal that is set to take place at the end of August or September,” the source told The Malaysian Insight.

Dewan Rakyat Speaker is Azhar Azizan Harun and the Senate president is Rais Yatim 

Apart from Azhar, his deputy Azalina Othman Said and Senate deputy president Mohamad Ali Mohamad are also expected to attend the meeting. 

The summons for an audience was issued on Friday after Azhar and Rais in a statement said the earliest a hybrid Parliament can convene is end-August or September. 

They said the Parliament office has set up a special steering committee to hold hybrid proceedings. 

“This committee will be chaired by both the Dewan Rakyat speaker and Dewan Negara president and will include the deputy speakers, deputy president and Parliament secretaries,” the statement said.

After studying the technologies and methodologies needed, the committee has suggested that the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara have hybrid proceedings. 

Following the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s decree on June 16 for Parliament to convene as soon as possible and taking into consideration the prime minister’s powers to decide on the dates for the proceedings, the committee has to ensure that hybrid meetings are ready to be held as soon as possible, it said.  

“Nevertheless, the Parliament office needs some time to prepare the technical capability, procurement, supplies and conduct training for the meetings to take place,” it added. 

On June 16, the king said Parliament must reconvene as soon as possible.

The king added that reconvening Parliament would allow lawmakers to debate the emergency ordinances and National Recovery Plan to exit the Covid-19 pandemic. 

In February, the king had decreed that Parliament should meet even during a state of emergency. 

The emergency is set to end on August 1. – June 26, 2021.