THE first week of the current Dewan Rakyat sitting made history when the Anti-Sexual Harassment Bill 2021 was passed on Wednesday. 

It is hoped that the bill, which was first mooted in 2011, would be able to address sexual harassment in Malaysia, which does not have dedicated laws on the offence. 

However, there was “drama” during the debate session when the opposition claimed that Tajuddin Abdul Rahman (BN-Pasir Salak) had uttered rude remarks, leading to a heated exchange in the Dewan Rakyat. 

Another uproar erupted during the sitting, which began on Monday, when Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis (Warisan-Kota Belud) was ordered out of the Dewan Rakyat and suspended for two days after she ignored the speaker’s instruction and insisted the motion on Sulu sultanate heirs’ claims over Sabah be debated. 

The issue continued to be raised by opposition lawmakers before Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun explained on Wednesday that a debate on the Sulu heirs’ claims at the Dewan Rakyat may jeopardise Malaysia’s interests in the litigation proceedings of the case.

According to him, the debate may also reveal the government’s strategies in handling the case, hence giving an advantage to the other party involved.

On July 12, the Paris Court of Appeal allowed the Malaysian government’s application to stay the enforcement of the Final Award issued by the arbitration court on the grounds that it would affect the immunity of Malaysia’s sovereignty.

On the same day, it was reported that the assets of two Petronas subsidiaries in Azerbaijan had been seized by the Sulu heirs. 

The Dewan Rakyat also approved a motion to quash the House’s previous decision on March 23, which rejected the extension of the enforcement of Subsection 4(5) of Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012. 

The motion tabled in accordance with the Dewan Rakyat’s Standing Order 36(3) was approved after a vote, which saw 105 MPs agree and 83 disagree, while 32 were absent.

Following the decision, the Home Ministry will resubmit the motion to extend the enforcement of subsection 4(5) of the act, which allows the 28-day detention period to be maintained for another five years beginning July 31, during this parliament session. 

The Dewan Rakyat also passed seven bills, namely, the National Forestry (Amendment) Bill 2022, the Malaysian Border Control Agency (Dissolution) Bill 2021, the Offenders Compulsory Attendance (Amendment) Bill 2021, and the East Coast Economic Region Development Council (Amendment) Bill 2022. 

Other bills passed were the Control of Padi and Rice (Amendment) Bill 2022, the Poisons (Amendment) Bill 2022, and the Employees’ Social Security (Amendment) Bill 2022.

However, the motion on the election of a Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker to replace Azalina Othman Said was postponed to the next meeting of the House. – Bernama, July 22, 2022.