The much-talked about tabling of Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s vote of confidence in Parliament has been scheduled for September 7, a day after the Dewan Rakyat reconvenes for the fourth term.
Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah told a virtual news conference that notice of the motion has been issued by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun.
“For now, that is the date, and a notice has been issued by the Dewan Rakyat Speaker for it to be held on September 7,” Saifuddin said.
The first meeting of the Fourth Session of the 14th Parliamentary sitting will convene as scheduled for 15 days beginning Sept 6.
The first day of the first meeting will be marked by a royal address, after which the day’s session will end and be resumed on the next day.
Checks on the Parliament website revealed that other businesses listed for the sitting include debates on the motion of thanks on the Royal Address as well as the tabling of the 12th Malaysia Plan.
There will be no special Parliament sitting before that, Saifuddin said, responding to reports that there would be a special Dewan Rakyat sitting on August 18 for the motion of confidence in Muhyiddin to be tabled.
In pushing for an earlier sitting, Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Azalina Othman Said had said that it would be better to have the vote before the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s opening speech on September 6.
She said that it would be embarrassing to have the king read out his speech – written by the sitting government – only for the government to fall during the motion of confidence the following day.
Muhyiddin is under pressure for Parliament to be convened sooner, including from the king, according to highly placed sources.
When pressed on whether the prime minister had spoken about the king wanting Putrajaya to bring forward the sitting date, Saifuddin declined to answer, citing that he is bound by the law that protects official secrets.
“I will be committing an offence under the Official Secrets Act if I answer your question. Unfortunately, I will not be able to answer your question,” said the minister.
He also declined to confirm whether the cabinet discussed speeding up the vote of confidence, saying that “there are many possibilities in politics”, but maintained that Sept 7 was still the official date and has not changed as of then.
According to him, the motion of confidence would be brought by either Muhyiddin’s deputy Ismail Sabri Yaakob or another minister who is assigned by the cabinet.
The cabinet was also still in discussion on how it will be done, including the possibility that Muhyiddin may give a speech before the voting starts.