Category: News

Penang has proposed to hold its state legislative assembly sitting on September 1, said Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.

He said the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah has consented to Penang’s request to convene the state legislative assembly sitting after the Emergency period ends on August 1.

The state government also expressed its gratitude to Penang Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tan Sri Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak for being involved in talks on the matter with His Majesty, he added.

The consent was given pursuant. to Section 15(1)(b) of the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021 and in line with the advice of the Prime Minister and the National Security Council (MKN),” he said in a statement today.

Chow said the state government would always seek advice from the MKN the Penang State Health Department (JKNPP) on the standard operating procedures and preventive measures that need to be implemented to curb the speed of COVID-19.

– BERNAMA

Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has been appointed Deputy Prime Minister and retains the post of Defence Minister, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) released a statement today.

In the statement, it is also mentioned that Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein has been appointed as Senior Minister (Security Cluster), a post held by Ismail Sabri.

“The appointment of DPM will help the Prime Minister to manage the country and meet the people’s needs at a time when the country is facing a health and economic crisis,” it stated.

Hishammuddin will help the Prime Minister to implement the National Recover Plan, it added.

The political secretary to Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has lodged a police report against the owner of the Facebook account using the name ‘Lokman Adam’, following the dissemination of a video allegedly defaming the senior minister.

Datuk Syed Mohd Fazmi Sayid Mohammad lodged the report at the Dang Wangi District Police Headquarters at about 2.30pm today, after watching the hour-long video at about 11.00am yesterday.

Syed Mohd Fazmi said the video uploaded on the Facebook account claimed that Ismail Sabri, who is also UMNO vice-president, was trying to convince other UMNO MPs to become candidates for Bersatu during the 15th General Election in the event they were not selected by the party.

“After examining the contents of the video, I clearly found that the owner of the account had slandered Ismail Sabri, from the third minute until the end of the video,” he said after lodging the report.

Dang Wangi District Police chief ACP Mohamad Zainal Abdullah when contacted, confirmed receiving the report.

– BERNAMA

A special session of Dewan Rakyat will be held for five days from July 26. Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in a statement today said that the Senate, however, will convene for three days from August 3rd to 5th.

“The government has agreed to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for a special sitting of the third session of the 14th Parliament to be held for five days from July 26 to 29, and also on August 2, 2021,” as stated in the statement.

The special sitting is to explain to all Members of Parliament (MPs) about the National Recovery Plan and to amend all legislation and rules to enable Parliament sitting to be held in a hybrid manner.

The PMO also said that in accordance with Clause 3 of Article 150 of the Federal Constitution, the Proclamation of Emergency and emergency ordinances promulgated by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall be laid before both Houses of Parliament.

The statement also said that the special sitting will be held according to the standard operating procedures set by the National Security Council (MKN) and Health Ministry.

All members of the Cabinet has also been notified about the matter through a Cabinet note, it said.

Last month, the King, Al-Sultan Abdullah Riayatuddin Mustafa Billah Shah expressed the view that Parliament sitting should be held as soon as possible to enable the National Recovery Plan and emergency ordinances to be debated.

– BERNAMA

UMNO has decided to postpone its party elections for 18 months.

Its secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said the decision which was agreed to by the party’s Supreme Council (MT) was made in accordance with Clause 10.16 of the party constitution.

The clause states that MT has the power to postpone party polls at the supreme council, branch and division levels up to 18 months from the date when the elections are supposed to be held.

According to the party’s constitution, UMNO elections must be held every three years after the term for the party leadership ends. The last. party elections were held on June 30, 2018.

Ahmad said that the decision was also made on the advice of the Health director-general through a letter dated May 10, as well as the view from the Registrar of Societies (RoS) and the National Security Council (MKN) director-general, on the matter.

“The Health Ministry (MoH) and MKN had suggested that UMNO meetings and elections be held virtually.

“The MoH and MKN also mentioned that if UMNO is unable to conduct the elections virtually, the party may postponed the polls to a later date and until the COVID-19 situation is under control,” he said in a statement today.

According to Ahmad, 66,287 meetings and elections had to be held involving the attendance of 3.3 million UMNO members in addition to 764 conferences comprising delegates from four levels of divisional meetings, namely Division, Wanita, Youth and Puteri wings.

He said the conferences and meetings must be held simultaneously across two weekends which would be difficult during the current pandemic situation.

He added that UMNO has never conducted its meetings and conferences virtually due to the concern over potential technical errors and internet connection problems in rural areas.

However, Ahmad said the party branch and divisional level meetings, as well as its general assembly would still proceed with attendance of not more than 25 per cent to meet the annual association procedure.

He said that based on a proposal tabled at the MT meeting, the party branch and divisional level meetings must be held from Aug 15 to Sept 30.

“That meetings can be held virtually in areas with internet coverage, while for rural areas with bad internet access, face-to-face meetings can be held subject to approval by the authorities,” he said.

– BERNAMA

The Parliament has adequate facilities to implement a hybrid Dewan Rakyat sitting at anytime if necessary.

Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon said the Parliament was also in the process of finalising other technical aspects required.

“Of course we are prepared and the existing facilities are adequate, we are making additions to implement it (a hybrid sitting),” he told Bernama.

He said till now there has not been a set date for the Dewan Rakyat to convene and it will follow the Standing Orders that set the need to provide a 28-day notice before a sitting can convene.

“We leave it to the discretion of the Leader of the House for its implementation,” he said.

He said the implementation of a hybrid Parliament sitting is a new norm and it was not impossible that it would go down as a historical moment for Malaysia as it faces the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It also represents a new challenge for the Speaker as we will be dealing monitors to look at MPs,” he said.

Mohd Rashid said if a hybrid Dewan Rakyat sitting does happen, there will be several Standing Orders that require amendments, including the voting process, and all amendments required will be included as an addendum to the existing Standing Orders.

“One more example, the Parliament refers to the Federal Constitution Article 62 Parliamentary Procedure.”

“In 62(5) it is stated that members who do not attend a Parliamentary sitting are not allowed to vote. But if we refer to 62(1) it is subject to this Parliamentary provision and provisions of federal laws, that every Parliamentary sitting needs to regulate its own protocols,” he said.

When asked about how many MPs need to be present in the Dewan Rakyat if the amendments are to be passed, Mohd Rashid said the minimum number for a quorum is 26 MPs.

Previously, the Dewan Rakyat (with the Speaker’s ruling) had set a maximum of 80 MPs (in the Dewan Rakyat) but the actual total and method are still at the final stages of discussion.

– BERNAMA

PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has reminded members of the party not to be too obsessed with a leader or group.

He said the obsession would lead to acts of disobedience which were not ‘in line’ with the decisions made by the party leadership.

“Our weakness is that sometimes we are to obsessed with a leader, either me or others.”

“Therefore, our minds are no longer obedient to the party and leadership but we allow the existence of groups,” he said when winding-up debate at the 2020 PKR Annual National Congress which was held virtually today.

The Port Dickson MP stressed that issues on which there was disagreement could be discussed while those who were formerly part of the ‘cartel’ should also be given space.

Sixteen delegates spoke during the debate and a delegate from Kedah, Razaini Md Isa, suggested that the party president establish a new collaboration with various parties to ease the burden of the people affected by Covid-19 pandemic.

“We give the authority to the president to implement and redouble efforts to regain the people’s mandate and prioritise the fate of the people over political and personal interests,” he said.

Melaka delegate Muhammad Asri Ibrahim expressed his gratitude to all frontline personnel who have sacrificed their time and energy to contain the pandemic.

“I would like to suggest to the government that all civil servants who have served during this pandemic be given opportunity to redeem the Cash Award in Lieu of Leave (GCR),” he said.

About 2,000 delegates participated in the congress, held virtually through Zoom application, starting at 8.00am

– BERNAMA