PAKATAN Harapan has demanded an assurance from the Dewan Rakyat speaker that there will be sitting as planned on Monday.

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, in a press conference, said speaker Azhar Azizan Harun should resign if he is not able to state a clear answer on the status of Monday’s sitting.

He said this after the sitting today – the fourth day of five days of special meeting – was repeatedly adjourned since lunch break, until the final announcement at 5.15pm by deputy speaker Mohd Rashid Hasnon.

Even then Mohd Rashid did not state if the sitting would continue as planned on Monday.

The reason for the sitting to be adjourned today was due to Covid-19 infections among Parliamentary staff.

“From 2.30pm, it was adjourned to 3.30pm, and then 5.15pm, this is just charade, trying to trick the MPs and it is an insult to the Parliament.

“The deputy speaker could not even tell us if there is going to be a sitting on Monday. Tell us if there is a sitting on Monday, state clearly, if not the speaker has to resign.

“Give us a guarantee come Monday, there is a sitting,” said the Port Dickson MP.

Anwar said that opposition MPs would be in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday despite any outcome.

“We will be there at 10am sharp,” he said.

The morning session was interrupted when Anwar read out the Agong’s statement rebutting de facto law minister Takiyuddin Hassan’s emergency revocation.

This caused a ruckus in the House, prompting the deputy speaker to adjourn for lunch.

At 2.30pm, another deputy speaker, Azalina Othman Said, further adjourned the sitting to 3.30pm without giving any reasons.

At 3.30pm, Rashid entered the Dewan and asked all MPs to undergo Covid-19 screening, saying that the Health Ministry had detected two positive cases. He also said the sitting would be adjourned to 5.15pm.

Former defence minister Mohamad Sabu, who was also at the press conference, said the swab tests were orchestrated to delay the sitting.

“It is not the MPs who got infected, it was the staff. What does this have to do with MPs? This is just a drama by the government,” he said.

Anwar has also filed a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin today.

The opposition leader’s office said the motion was handed to speaker Azhar at 3pm.

Apart from calling for the resignation of Muhyiddin, Anwar also urged Takiyuddin to relinquish his post following the statement from the palace.

Other parties, including Umno and Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s Pejuang, have also called for  Muhyiddin’s resignation. – July 29, 2021.