King Can Call For Parliament To Sit Without Pm S Advice Says Khalid

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Amanah communications director Khalid Samad says the King should call for Parliament to reconvene in July, when the emergency is still in effect.PETALING JAYA: The Yang di-Pertuan Agong has the authority to call for Parliament to reconvene on a suitable date without the advice of the prime minister under the Emergency Ordinance, according to Khalid Samad.
The chairman of the opposition’s Tamat Darurat committee cited Sections 14 and 15 of the ordinance, saying the King does not need to wait for the prime minister to advise him on a suitable date for Parliament to reopen.
“With this, we ask the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to call for Parliament to reconvene in July, when the emergency is still in effect,” he said in a statement today.
Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah said yesterday he wanted Parliament to reconvene as soon as possible, as it would allow MPs to debate the emergency ordinance and the government’s national recovery plan.
The Malay rulers, who met yesterday, also said there was no need for the nation to remain under a state of emergency after Aug 1 and wanted state assemblies to also reconvene as soon as possible.
Khalid thanked the King and the rulers for their stand, saying it proved that the current government had failed to manage the pandemic and economy.
The Amanah communications director said Parliament was not just a key check-and-balance mechanism, but the ideal platform to discuss the best way forward to overcome the pandemic and address the nation’s economic issues. - FMT

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