KUALA LUMPUR: The Dewan Rakyat will not be sitting for a month from March 8 to April 8, said Deputy Speaker Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon.
He said those were previous dates scheduled before the Proclamation of Emergency by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
Therefore, he said, the date of the next sitting has yet to be determined.
"No Dewan Rakyat is sitting as reported on March 8. The dates were before the emergency.
"We still do not have the opening date of the Dewan Rakyat sitting for this year.
"There are some procedures we need. So it's not as early as March 8," he said in a statement today.
A report earlier cited the Parliament website as showing the calendar of the first meeting of the fourth term of the 14th Parliament to start on March 8 and end on April 8.
On February 24 Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah said he is of the view that Parliament sessions can be held during the State of Emergency.
Comptroller of the Royal Household Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin said the King believes that Parliament sitting can be held on a date suitable to the King upon advice from Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
This is mentioned in Sub Paragraph 14(1)(b) of Emergency Ordinance (Necessary Powers) 2021 that parliament can be called, prorogated and dissolved on a date suitable to the King upon advice from the prime minister.
Hence, reactions from parties that the State of Emergency prohibits Parliament sessions from being held is wrong.
