KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 20 — Nearly half of the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat was unoccupied when Parliament resumed its sitting this morning.

Tampin MP Datuk Mohd Isam Mohd Isa raised the absence of the Opposition MPs several times during the Minister’s Question Time.

Pontian MP Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan affirmed that the entire Opposition bloc was absent inside the House.

"The Dewan Rakyat is empty this morning, Monday. Not a single Opposition MP was present.

"They're in Putrajaya, demonstrating. Of course it's also because of the Kemaman by-election, they want to show them as heroes,” he told Malay Mail when contacted.

Due to their absence, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul has skipped over five questions that had been posed by Opposition MPs to the ministers so far at the time of writing.

A mass demonstration, organised by Perikatan Nasional leaders, is underway in front of the Palace of Justice complex in Malaysia’s federal administrative capital.

Hundreds of people have gathered there in response to calls from Opposition MPs over a court case challenging the legality of state Shariah criminal laws in PAS-led Kelantan.

Bukit Gantang MP Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal confirmed it during his turn to debate the Supply Bill 2024 at the committee stage.

"We are always present in this Dewan. Although this morning we went to the Palace of Justice to provide solidarity support to the Shariah court, we were said to be skipping. Actually, we didn't skip,” said the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia man.