Amid Agong’s earlier remarks, Parliament sitting today delayed again

TODAY’S Parliament sitting, which was intended to discuss the efforts as well as initiatives taken by the Finance Ministry has been delayed yet again.

At 3.30pm, Deputy Speaker Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon addressed the Lower House and offered a brief statement announcing that today’s sitting will be postponed until 5.15pm before taking his leave of the floor.

This is due to the two new COVID-19 cases that have been discovered on Parliament grounds, said Mohd Rashid.

He made the announcement in Parliament after a letter from Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah had revealed two positive COVID-19 cases.

The postponement is to allow everyone in Parliament, including MPs, parliamentary staff and media officers to be tested for COVID-19 at Gate 3.

“I regret to inform you that the Health Ministry revealed that on July 29, there were two positive cases in Parliament.

“First, an officer who attended Parliament on Monday (July 26) till Wednesday (July 28) was tested positive with a ct value of 18.7%, below 20. This is considered a high viral load and infectivity.

“The second case tested positive on Thursday (July 29), when he was screened in Parliament using the saliva test.

“Risk assessment found that those two cases have been present at many locations in Parliament during that period.

“No one, including MPs, officers and staff, is allowed to leave Parliament until swab test results are out. Priority will be given to MPs,” he announced.

This is following three previous setbacks, following a statement from Istana Negara earlier today.

The first adjournment of 15 minutes was announced at 12.30pm, the second adjournment of 1.5 hours at 1pm, and the third adjournment of 1.5 hours at 2.30pm.

The reason behind these delays as many had come to believe was the Istana Negara’s statement where Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah had declared that he had not given the royal assent that was constitutionally required to revoke the Emergency Ordinances (EO).

According to Bernama, vehicles believed to be carrying Cabinet ministers and Attorney-General Tan Sri Idrus Harun were spotted entering the main gate of Prime Minister Tan Sri Mahiaddin Yassin’s residence in Bukit Damansara at 1.30pm today. – July 29, 2021.

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