THAT Parliament will reconvene soon is a foregone conclusion. This is following Prime Minister Tan Sri Mahiaddin Yassin’s recent announcement that Parliament will reopen in September or October when the country enters Phase Three of the Government’s COVID-19 exit plan.
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, too, has opined that Parliament should reconvene as soon as possible. His Majesty came to the conclusion after hearing from heads of political parties, the Special Independent Committee on the Emergency 2021 and briefings by government experts.
There is, after all, a need for a strong and stable government that can function effectively to tackle the COVID-19 crisis and revive the country’s economy. In this case, what better platform there is to allow elected representatives to discuss various pressing matters than the Parliament?
But mind you, a hastily-put-together session will not benefit anyone either, except those with questionable political agendas up their sleeves.
The reconvening of Parliament will allow them to set particular political manoeuvres into motion for their own gains, and this must be avoided at all cost, given the fact that the ensuing political turmoil will not get us far in our battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.
This goes without saying, therefore, that when Parliament reconvenes, all efforts must be put into ensuring that the legislative processes be carried out in an orderly and systematic manner.
They must be properly thought through and not rushed for the sake of an early Parliament reopening, and the same applies to bills that are to be tabled in Parliament and other legislative affairs.
After all, the hallowed chambers of the Parliament are a place for laws to be passed and not a platform for political lobbying (which is prone to happen, as previous sittings will tell you).
More importantly, it must be a platform for the elected representatives of the people to debate the emergency laws and the National Recovery Plan, and to discuss urgent issues pertaining to the COVID-19 crisis and to revive the country’s economy – nothing more, and nothing less.
Meanwhile, following a meeting with Parliament speakers this morning, Yang di-Pertuan Agong al-Sultan Abdullah Almarhum Sultan Shah reiterated that the august house must reconvene as soon as possible.
In a statement issued by the Comptroller of the Royal Household Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin, the monarch said the Parliament must be reconvened to debate the Emergency proclamation and the ordinances (EO) enacted during the period, as stipulated under Article 150 (3) of the Federal Constitution.– June 29, 2021
