Parliament: First hour of special sitting filled with questions on no debate, voting

Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal (Warisan-Semporna), Ramkarpal Singh (PH-Bukit Gelugor), Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (Pejuang-Langkawi), Sim Tze Tzin (PH-Bayan Baru) and Datuk Mahfuz Omar (PH-Pokok Sena) were among those who voiced their dissatisfaction over the five-day session that began today.

Dr Mahathir claimed that the Perikatan Nasional was trying to delude the world by holding the special sitting of the Dewan Rakyat which he called a briefing session without debate.

"This is a deception, more so with the pressing COVID-19 pandemic being made an excuse to declare an emergency and not tabled in the House to be debated.

"On the National Recovery Plan (NRP), if the government wishes to inform on this to this House, we don't need an explanation. We need to have a debate on the people's sufferings, but it is not in the agenda," said the former prime minister.

Earlier, Mohd Shafie, the first who stood up for clarification from Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar, asked whether the special sitting was in line with the decision of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Federal Constitution.

The atmosphere then got even more heated up when Ramkarpal questioned why the emergency declaration and the ordinance under the proclamation was not brought before the Dewan Rakyat and also asked whether Azhar had received any directive to do so. "If that was the agenda, resign," he added.

Meanwhile, Sim stated that if the special sitting this time had no debate session, it was regarded as disobeying the order of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

"In His Majesty's statement ... this (parliamentary sitting) is to enable the emergency ordinance and NRP to be debated by members of the Dewan Rakyat... I hope the Speaker does not drag Parliament towards disobedience. The Speaker has a responsibility of defending the Federal Constitution and upholding the decree of His Majesty," he said.

Following this, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Parliament and Law), Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan explained that the Dewan Rakyat special sitting was based on the Standing Orders and it was not the first time it was held.

"Under the Standing Orders, this can be regarded as part of the Federal Constitution as it was made based on Article 62 (1) of the constitution.

"This is part of the constitution....based on Standing Order 11(3) read out by our opposition friend and which clearly states that in the context of the Malaysian Parliament, there are the ordinary sittings and special sittings," he said.

He also stated that Standing Order 11 (3) gave the prime minister the power to ask the Dewan Rakyat Speaker to call for a special sitting, while showing the prime minister's letter to the Speaker on the agenda of the special sitting which was made in the interest of the people, including the emergency proclamation and emergency ordinance.

Meanwhile, Azhar Azizan in making the ruling, said the special sitting was held in accordance with Standing Order 11 (3) and he had been told by the prime minister to hold it in the interest of the public.

He said the order clearly stated that the prime minister had the prerogative to decide on all parliamentary meeting matters.

"Hence, this special sitting is the prerogative of the prime minister and secondly, the affairs of the special sitting shall be decided by the prime minister," he added.