MPs under quarantine attend sitting in PPE
Three Members of Parliament placed under the Home Surveillance Order (HSO) could attend the Dewan Rakyat sitting, here, yesterday by strictly adhering to the standard operating procedure (SOP) including wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).
Dewan Rakyat Speaker, Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun said in such cases, the MPs would first be taken in an ambulance and upon arrival at Parliament, would be placed in a special room.
“I understand that this morning, three MPs asked for permission to come (to Parliament). If they wish to vote, they should wear PPE and enter through the Dewan Rakyat Public Gallery door.
“Votes would be taken from them and the enumerator and observer would have to wear a face shield,” he said after Dr Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen (PH-Bandar Kuching) raised the issue of the presence MPs undergoing quarantine attending the Dewan Rakyat sitting.
Azhar said after voting, the MPs involved should leave the Public Gallery to limit exposure to others in Parliament.
The Speaker said he was not altering the SOP but the adherence was determined by the Ministry of Health and its director-general (DG), Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
“I needed to seek permission from the Health DG if they (the three MPs) could be allowed in by following the SOP that was set by him, not by me,” he added.
Azhar opined that the matter needed to be regularised so that the MPs comply with the order made.
The media yesterday reported that the three MPs involved were Health Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba; Human Resource Minister, Datuk Seri M. Saravanan and P. Prabakaran (PH-Batu).
Their presence in the Dewan yesterday sparked off a protest by opposition MPs during a bloc vote of the 2021 Supply Bill for the
Ministry of Federal Territories at committee level.
Dr Adham, Saravanan and Prabakaran entered the Dewan Rakyat Public Gallery wearing PPE to join the voting.
The situation caused Kuala Langat MP Datuk Dr Xavier Jayakumar to question the rational of allowing the three members to enter the Dewan to vote.
Also standing up to question the move was Sepanggar MP, Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman who claimed the presence of the three MPs was raising the risk of infection to other members of the house as well as their families.
However, the Speaker said the decision was made following the move of an MP who broke quarantine order to join in the voting last week.
“Last Thursday, an MP from the other side (opposition) who did not comply with the quarantine order came to vote.
“I do not want the matter to arise further, so it is better I regulate the voting process,” he said.
After questioning Azhar’s decision for more than eight minutes, almost all opposition MPs walked out of the House as sign of protest.
The 2021 Supply Bill of the ministry was passed at committee stage in a bloc vote when 110 MPs supported, seven opposed, 31 did not vote while 72 were not present.
Earlier, before the debate at committee stage began, Azhar clarified that there were requests from MPs under HSO to attend the sitting yesterday.
Azhar said the MPs were brought in ambulance and upon arrival at Parliament were placed in a special room.
In a media conference after that, Datuk Johari Abdul (PH-Sungai Petani) who is PKR chief whip accused the Speaker of not calling the whips before deciding to allow members who are still undergoing HSO to be present in Parliament.
“In other previous cases, the chief whips would be called by the Speaker on any decision such as how many hours to debate, SOP which we have to adhere to, all these we have discussed ...today this did not happen,” he said.
He added that discussion was needed as it involved the question of the health and safety of other MPs.
Meanwhile, Datuk Mahfuz Omar (PH-Pokok Sena) said the opposition bloc did not have any information on an MP who broke his quarantine to join in the voting last week.
“We have no information but if he (Speaker) is right that the opposition MP came, action should have been taken on that day,” he said. – Bernama