Motion To Nominate Speaker Among Focus of Malaysian Parliament Today

KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 (Bernama) -- The Dewan Rakyat (Malaysia's lower house of Parliament) which convenes today on the first day of the Second Meeting of the Third Term of the 14th Parliament will focus on the motion for the Speaker, Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof, and his deputy, Nga Kor Ming, to vacate their posts. According to the Agenda of the Meeting in the Parliament website, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is expected to move a motion to appoint former Election Commission (EC) chairman Azhar Azizan Harun as Speaker and Pengerang MP Azalina Othman Said as Deputy Speaker according to Order 4(1) of the Standing Orders of the Dewan Rakyat. The Prime Minister is also expected to propose the appointment of six Dewan Rakyat members to the Parliamentary Select Committee under Standing Order 76 for the 14th Parliament. According to the Parliament official website, the six are Mohamed Azmin Ali (Gombak MP); Hamzah Zainudin (Larut MP); Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (Bagan Datuk MP); Fadillah Yusof (Petra Jaya MP); Abdul Hadi Awang (Marang MP) and Anwar Ibrahim (Port Dickson MP). The Dewan Rakyat sitting which usually begins at 10 a.m. sharp will start with the session for Questions with Oral Answers, followed by a motion of thanks to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) and the debate on the Royal Address. Questions related to the current economic status, the performance of the national economy, and the current rate of unemployment will be raised by Rubiah Wang (Kota Samarahan MP) to the Prime Minister will be the focus during the oral Questions-and-Answer session. Also interesting will be the question from Wan Hassan Mohd Ramli (Dungun MP) who will ask Science, Technology and Innovation Minister for an explanation about programmes by the Malaysian Nuclear Agency to improve technical skills based on nuclear science and technology for the public who are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (Pandan MP) is also expected to ask a question on the ministry’s preparations and actions to tackle and boost cyber security, as well on Malaysia’s involvement in joint efforts with the health services sector and foreign countries to curb COVID-19, to be asked by Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz (Bachok MP). The First Meeting of the Third Term of the 14th Parliament held for one day on May 18 featured only the Royal Address by the King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah. The Dewan Rakyat sitting this time will be held for 25 days until August 27, 2020, according to the new normal and abiding by the standard operating procedure to curb the spread of COVID-19. This includes wearing face masks and hand sanitisers, as well as ensuring there is a one-metre seat gap for the Members of Parliament while the meeting is in session as decided by the Special Ministerial Committee meeting on the Movement Control Order. -- BERNAMA