KUALA LUMPUR: The Dewan Rakyat sitting on Thursday lasted until the early hours of Friday morning to allow for all matters at hand to be resolved.
It is said this was the first time parliament faced such a situation after the Kelantan Emergency Ordinance was debated in 1977.
The sitting was adjourned at 3.22am yesterday after 22 days in session.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said the Standing Order 90(2) was used to suspend Standing Order 12 which states that all matters must be completed in the same day.
“This has never happened since I’ve been involved in the Parliament,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby, here yesterday.
Mohamed Nazri tabled the motion Thursday night while the Dewan Rakyat was debating the Capital Markets and Services (Amendment) Bill 2012 for the second reading.
When the motion was raised, there were 34 Barisan Nasional (BN) members of parliament, 17 opposition and an independent representative at the Dewan Rayat chaired by Deputy Speaker Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
The amendment to the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (Act 301), which removed a minister’s power in approving or rejecting publishing licences, was the final bill to be passed.
According to meeting agenda, the Dewan Rakyat was required to pass this bill and five other motions from the Finance Ministry before Parliament is adjourned this term.
The sitting which began on March 21 saw 21 bills passed which were the Election Offences Bill (Amendment) 2012, Jasa Perkasa Persekutuan (Rememberance Allowance) Bill 2012, Pingat Tentera Udara (Rememberance Allowance) Bill 2012 and the Universities and University Colleges (Amendment) Bill 2012.
Also passed were the Private Higher Educational Institutions (Amendment) Bill 2012, Educational Institutions (Discipline) (Amendment) Bill 2012, Capital Markets and Services (Amendment) Bill 2012, Printing Presses and Publications (Amendment) Bill 2012.
The Arbitration Bill 2012, Malaysia Institute of Road Safety Research Bill 2012, Supplementary Supply Bill (2011) 2012, Financial Report (Amendment) Bill 2012 and the Labuan Companies Bill (Amendment) 2012.
Also passed were the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill 2012, Security Offences Bill (Special Measures) 2012, Penal Code Bill (Amendment) 2012, Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012, Evidence (Amendment) Bill 2012, Territorial Sea Bill 2012, Rukun Tetangga Bill 2012 and the Malaysia Volunteers Corps Bill 2012.
The Dewan Rakyat sitting has been adjourned sine die. — Bernama