Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan speaks during the Save Malaysia Demonstration at Sogo shopping complex on March 1, 2020. — Picture by Hari Anggara
KUALA LUMPUR, March 1 — Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin should request for an urgent sitting of Parliament to demonstrate that he commanded the support of the majority of federal lawmakers, Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan said.
The former Bersih 2.0 chairman cited Standing Orders 11(3) to make her case, saying the prime minister could inform the Speaker to reconvene Parliament outside of session if there were a matter of public interest that needed the attention of federal lawmakers.
“In view of the uncertainty as regards the numbers supporting the prime minister and in view of the news of a possible adjournment of the next session of Parliament I would urge the PM to call an emergency Parliament session this week to resolve this issue satisfactorily.
“It would not only be in his interests to do so, it would be in the overriding interests of the nation.
“In the light of the uncertainty it is important and in the public interest that the PM test his majority in Parliament by calling for a special sitting,” Ambiga said in a statement.
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof said today that the Parliament meeting scheduled for March 9 might now be postponed.
Mohamad Ariff said that he would discuss the matter with the Prime Minister’s Office to obtain confirmation and finalise a date for the next sitting.
Muhyiddin was sworn in as the eighth prime minister of Malaysia this morning but the deposed Pakatan Harapan coalition maintains that former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad still possessed the support of 112 federal lawmakers or enough to govern by simple majority.