Schools Set To Reopen Why Not Parliament Says Mahfuz

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The Dewan Rakyat sitting was scheduled for March 8 but has been cancelled with the emergency proclamation. (Bernama pic)PETALING JAYA: With all schools set to reopen between March and April, the government has been asked why Parliament has not been allowed to reconvene in March for its usual first sitting of the year.
Amanah vice-president Mahfuz Omar, MP for Pokok Sena, said there was no excuse now to delay the meeting particularly since there were already sufficient procedures in place to curb Covid-19.
“We have SOPs (standard operating procedures), which includes physical distancing, panels between each MP and a limit of 80 MPs at any one time in the hall. So what’s the issue? Why can’t the government allow Parliament to sit as scheduled on March 8?” he asked.
Mahfuz told FMT that Parliament needed to reconvene so MPs could start planning for the nation’s future, adding that the 12th Malaysia Plan, from 2021 to 2015, was of particular importance.
He hoped the Yang di-Pertuan Agong would make a decision on the matter. “It’s time for the prime minister to have an audience with the King to submit the schedule of the parliamentary proceedings.”
Earlier today, education minister Radzi Jidin announced that preschools and primary schools would reopen from March 1, while secondary schools would reopen in two groups on April 4 and 5, according to the weekends in the respective states.
He said Year 1 and 2 students will be going back to school on March 1, while those in Year 3 to 6 will be back in school on March 8. - FMT

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