Malaysia: Opposition reps press for Parliament to reconvene

• OPPOSITION lawmakers on the emergency committee to advise Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the Covid-19 situation in the country said they pushed to lift Parliament’s suspension at their first meeting on 18 Feb 21.
• The three members of parliament – Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (Kulim-Bandar Bharu), Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (Kuala Selangor) and Anthony Loke (Seremban) – said in a statement Parliament could convene even during the emergency as long as it complied with all the standard operating procedure set by the Health Ministry.
• They noted that this had been done throughout the pandemic in 2020.
• Calling Parliament back to session is important to ensure all agendas and measures to curb Covid-19 could be debated by MPs, they said.
• There should be a check and balance of all the decisions on the pandemic.
• “The decision to reconvene Parliament will also provide confidence to the outside world and foreign investors that Malaysia remains committed to the system of parliamentary democracy and the principles of rule of law,” they said.
• Meanwhile, the PH taskforce COVID-19 and vaccination task force has urged the government to be clear and transparent with information on the efficacy, safety, quality and permissibility of the coronavirus vaccines when the immunisation programme starts.
• The task force said this would help to improve confidence among Malaysians, especially among those still hesitant about being vaccinated.
• PH said the government also needs to remind the rakyat that the vaccine is not the silver bullet that would end the pandemic miraculously.
• PH said the government should also address the contradicting statements, for instance, from ministers on basic issues, such as the number of vaccines administered daily.
• PH said that there must be clarity of leadership on the vaccine programme.

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