Additional SOPs in Parliament to curb infection, ensure safe sitting - Azhar

KUALA LUMPUR: The standard operating procedures (SOPs) in Parliament building have been enhanced to contain the spread of COVID-19 and to ensure the Dewan Rakyat sitting proceeded safely, said Dewan Rakyat Speaker, Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun.

He said several areas have been agreed in the House Committee meeting yesterday, among them, the SOPs on movements of house members and staff and the need to undergo compulsory RTK Antigen Saliva test randomly every Monday and Wednesday.

"The first test will be conducted tomorrow (Wednesday). Also agreed was the flowchart on the management of an individual who enters the Parliament complex. Apart from that, Members of Parliament (MPs) with Home Surveillance Order (HSO) status due to close contact would be given the choice to vote wearing PPE. This had taken place on Dec 14 and 15 last year.

"The system of MP rotation in Dewan Rakyat is carried out every one hour as a measure to curb transmission," he said in an announcement on the first day sitting of the Fourth Session of the 14th Parliament today.

Azhar said the house meeting was attended by the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar; Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim (BN-Arau); Alice Lau Kiong Yien (PH-Lanang); Abdul Latiff Abdul Rahman (PAS-Kuala Krai); and Datuk Dr Mohd Hatta Md Ramli (PH-Lumut).

Apart from that, he reminded all MPs not to remove their face mask when speaking or debating as well as encouraging them to put on double face mask.

"The management of Parliament Malaysia has also improved ventilation for better air quality. I hope with the better air quality in Parliament building and compliance with the tight SOPs by all MPs would protect us from the disease," he said.

-- BERNAMA