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Dewan Rakyat sitting delayed once more over Covid fears

The sitting initially pushed forward to Aug 2 has been postponed again to a date yet to be determined.

Staff Writers
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Personnel from the fire and rescue department conduct a cleaning and disinfection exercise at the Dewan Rakyat after several individuals tested positive for Covid-19 on July 29. Photo: Bernama
Personnel from the fire and rescue department conduct a cleaning and disinfection exercise at the Dewan Rakyat after several individuals tested positive for Covid-19 on July 29. Photo: Bernama

The resumption of the Dewan Rakyat special sitting initially postponed to Aug 2 has been pushed forward to a date yet to be determined due to concerns over Covid-19.

Dewan Rakyat secretary Nizam Mydin Bacha Mydin in a letter to MPs said the speaker’s office had been informed by the prime minister that Monday’s sitting would be postponed once more.

He said this was in line with the suggestion by health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah and risk assessments by the health ministry following the detection of Covid-19 cases in Parliament.

“In this regard the health ministry is of the opinion that Parliament is an at-risk location for the spread of Covid-19,” he said.

“Given this, I have been directed by deputy speaker Mohd Rashid Hasnon to inform MPs that the Dewan Rakyat will not convene on Monday.”

The session was postponed on Thursday after Noor Hisham issued a directive that the Parliament building be placed under quarantine following the detection of Covid-19 cases on the premises.

Parliament staff as well as MPs were screened for the virus with 11 individuals testing positive for Covid-19.

Noor Hisham said health teams would conduct investigations, risk assessments and contact tracing, and put in place preventive measures including the cleaning and disinfection of the Parliament building.