KUALA LUMPUR, June 30 — The leaders of both Houses of Parliament said they have informed the prime minister that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong wanted the federal legislature to meet before the Emergency expires in August.

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun and Dewan Negara President Tan Sri Rais Yatim said in a joint statement that Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah conveyed this to them during their audience yesterday, stressing the urgent need to convene the special sitting.

"The royal decree by the Yang Di Pertuan Agong has also been forwarded to the prime minister where it was suggested to the prime minister that a special sitting be held before August 1 in accordance with the existing legal provisions,” they said.

The two also gave their commitment to organise the special sitting before August 1 as proposed to them by the Agong.

They also expressed their gratitude towards the King for granting them an audience yesterday alongside their respective deputies. 

This after a royal audience between the Agong, Azhar and his two deputies in Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said and Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon, Rais and Deputy Dewan Negara Speaker Datuk Seri Mohamad Ali Mohamad was held at Istana Negara yesterday. 

Rashid had said after the audience that Parliament would convene "soon” without being specific, and how all attendees gave their opinions to the Agong on the feasibility of reconvening Parliament during their audience.

Earlier this month, Sultan Abdullah had held private audiences with top political leaders, reportedly to personally ask their opinions on the country’s Covid-19 situation that deteriorated despite the Emergency proclaimed in January.

Then on June 16, the Agong said that Parliament should convene as soon as possible to enable proper discussion of the Emergency Ordinance and Malaysia’s Covid-19 recovery plan

Throughout the state of Emergency, political leaders from both sides of the divide have urged Prime Minister Tan Sri MuHyiddin Yassin to urgently reconvene Parliament.

The Emergency is scheduled to end on August 1 and an extension appears unlikely as the Conference of Rulers expressly said they saw no need for it to continue past that date.