THE second meeting of the second session of the 15th parliament was adjourned on June 15. According to the parliament website, the third meeting is fixed for October 9 to November 30.

So why is parliament sitting now?

Parliament is sitting for a special meeting of the second session. 

Can parliament sit out of its scheduled meetings?

The short answer is yes.

Dewan Rakyat Standing Orders (SO) no. 11(3) states as follows:

If, during an adjournment of the House, it is represented to Tuan Yang di-Pertua by the Prime Minister that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier date than that to which the House was adjourned, Tuan Yang di-Pertua shall give notice thereof forthwith and the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice. The business set down for that day shall be appointed by the Prime Minister and notice thereof shall be circulated not later than the time of meeting.

The above was last cited and referred to by then speaker Azhar Azizan Harun when parliament last sat for a five-day special meeting starting July 26, 2021. It was the special meeting of the third session of the 14th parliament.

On that chaotic day, Azizan cited SO no. 11(3). As reported by the hansard, the speaker explained the standing order as follows:

“(Peraturan Mesyuarat) 11(3) ini kata urusan mesyuarat khas itu ditetapkan oleh Yang Amat Berhormat perdana menteri, itu prerogative beliau atau di dalam bahasa Inggerisnya, the business shall be appointed, bukan fixed. Bahasa yang digunakan adalah shall be appointed by the prime minister. Very specific, ya.

“Jadi sidang khas ini adalah pertamanya, prerogatif Yang Amat Berhormat perdana menteri. Keduanya, urusan sidang khas ini shall be appointed, mesti ditetapkan oleh perdana menteri. Bukan ditetapkan oleh saya, bukan ditetapkan oleh Yang Berhormat menteri lain atau ditetapkan oleh siapa saja.”

After several interruptions by a number of MPs, Azizan continued:

“Amalan sidang khas juga memang terdapat (dalam) the House of Commons UK, di mana kita pun kadang-kadang mengikut konvensyen mereka. Di UK pun mengikut Standing Order, nombor 13, sidang khas boleh dipanggil oleh kerajaan. Di sana oleh kerajaan bukan oleh Yang Amat Berhormat perdana menteri tetapi oleh kerajaan.

“Position-nya sama seperti kita, apabila kita ada sidang khas di sini dan juga House of Commons mengadakan sidang khasnya dan saya petik dalam bahasa asal ya, ‘’The business on the day of recall is appointed by the government’’ Serupa di sini appointed by the Prime Minister, di House of Commons, is appointed by the government. ‘’The business on the day of recall as appointed by the government and any government order of the day or notice and motion standing on the order both may also appear on the order paper’’ Government order sahaja, government motion sahaja yang boleh semasa sidang khas itu. Macam kita jugalah sendiri, it’s the same.” (See Hansard dated 26 July 2021 at pp 21, 23)

Azizan accordingly ruled that the business set down for that day as appointed by the prime minister should proceed.

Azizan had earlier rejected then Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim’s motion to debate the emergency ordinances as the motion was not in order. Anwar had, in his motion to the Dewan Rakyat, requested for a debate of the emergency proclamation and emergency ordinances, the Covid-19 pandemic, vaccination drive and expenditure as well as the National Recovery Plan.

“For your information, Datuk Seri, Standing Order 11(3) clearly states that the business during the special session must be decided by the prime minister. In this matter, your motion is not accounted for under matters of the special session which has been decided,” Azhar said.

He added that Anwar’s motion also covered more than one issue, which was not in accordance with SOs 33(1) and 46(3).

So why the chaos in Dewan Rakyat yesterday? – September 12, 2023.

* Hafiz Hassan reads The Malaysian Insight.