KUALA LUMPUR – All Members of Parliament (MPs) including those who have yet to complete their Covid-19 vaccination doses are allowed to enter Dewan Rakyat.
However, MPs who have yet to receive two doses of the vaccine are advised to get them before attending the Dewan Rakyat sitting next Monday, said the Speaker of Dewan Rakyat Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun.
“We have decided to allow all Members of Parliament to enter the hall for this special sitting and the following session although they have yet to complete their vaccination. However, we advise them to be very careful (with the risk of Covid-19 infection).
“We cannot stop them from coming (to the Parliament) to carry out their duty as required in the Federal Constitution,” he said told the media practitioners in a virtual news conference today.
According to Azhar, the same criteria is given to the officers and entourage of ministers and MPs, contact workers such as bodyguards, drivers and other relevant individuals.
“We will check (their vaccination status) outside before they are allowed to go in.
“If they are not fully vaccinated, we will stop them from entering the Parliament building,” he said.
Azhar also said that everyone will be asked to produce their Covid-19 screening result first, when asked about the measures that would be taken by the Parliament to ensure that the building is free from Covid-19.
Earlier, Azhar said that 1,008 individuals are expected to enter Parliament next Monday and they have done their Covid-19 swab test. Meanwhile, the MPs have done it earlier.
At the moment, 90 percent of the Parliament staff have received two doses of the injection. Meanwhile, 95 percent of MPs are fully vaccinated.
“The rest of them have obtained at least one dose. Four MPs have yet to receive any dose, perhaps it is due to certain factors that hindered them from doing so.
“I spoke to the Coordinating Minister of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK), Khairy Jamaluddin last month and he agreed to give the vaccine to all Parliament staff,” he said.
The Parliament will be sitting for five days from 26 until 29 July and 2 August.
The next full Parliament session will be held for 15 days from 6 until 30 September. Meanwhile, the Dewan Rakyat will sit for second session of 2021 for 32 days from 25 October until 16 December. –MalaysiaGazette
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