IN our excitement over news of the special sitting of Parliament starting July 26, we may have overlooked the opening paragraph of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) statement on July 5.

It reads as follows:

“Kerajaan telah bersetuju untuk menasihati Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong supaya Mesyuarat Khas Penggal Ketiga Parlimen Keempat Belas diadakan selama 5 hari mulai 26 hingga 29 Julai dan 2 Ogos 2021 bagi Dewan Rakyat dan 3 hari mulai 3 hingga 5 Ogos 2021 bagi Dewan Negara.”

As reported by The Malaysian Insight, the English translation of the excerpt is as follows:

“The Government has agreed to advise His Royal Highness the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong that a Special Meeting of the Third Session of the Fourteenth Parliament be held for five days from July 26 to July 29 and 2 August 2021 for the Dewan Rakyat and for three days from August 3 to August 5 2021 for the Dewan Negara.”

As clarified by the attorney-general (AG), the Agong acts on the advice of the cabinet (read: prime minister) in calling for Parliament to convene.

“[I]n line with the power of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to convene Parliament in accordance with the advice of the cabinet, the dates of meetings of the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara are also determined by the Cabinet,” the AG said.

Be that as it may, we have yet to hear of the Agong summoning Parliament under section 14(b) of the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021, which states that “the Parliament shall be summoned, prorogued and dissolved on a date as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong thinks appropriate”. Could it be that the prime minister has yet to advise the Agong?

If that is so, will the prime minister advise the Agong in his weekly pre-Cabinet briefing with the Agong tomorrow?

We have to be mindful that if the Agong summons the sitting of Parliament, the prime minister will have to notify the secretaries of the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara respectively of the business to be set down (Order Paper) for the days Parliament will sit, which in turn has to be circulated to all members of Parliament (MP).

Strictly speaking, Parliament has yet to convene or reconvene. This also means that opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s motion on his Facebook post yesterday is premature. 

If the Agong is to be advised, it should be within this week, as Order Papers have to be prepared and circulated to MPs with the longest possible notice, since the week after that is Hari Raya Aidiladha.

Therefore, it remains to be seen whether the prime minister will advise the Agong tomorrow. – July 13, 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.