A SPAT broke out in the Dewan Rakyat when an Opposition MP claimed there was a lack of quorum in the august House.
Datuk Mas Ermeiyati Samsudin (PN-Masjid Tanah) raised the matter just as she was about to begin debates after the House convened after lunch.
As Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Alice Lau was instructing the sergeant-at-arms to ring the bell before taking the headcount, more MPs began filing into the hall.
Just before the bell was rung, RSN Rayer (PH-Jelutong) informed Lau that some MPs had just finished attending Parliamentary Special Select Committee meetings.
He claimed Mas Ermieyati had malicious intent when calling for quorum.
“It is as if implying that other MPs are not present when they were in fact at a briefing earlier,” he said.
Datuk Mohd Shahar Abdullah (BN-Paya Besar) stood up and questioned why quorum had to be called when MPs from both government and opposition attended a briefing earlier.
“It doesn’t make sense to call a quorum for government MPs alone,” he said.
Lau then ruled for proceedings to continue, adding there were enough MPs in the House.
Under Standing Order 13, there must be at least 26 MPs in the 222-seat Dewan for proceedings to go on.
Instances of Dewan Rakyat proceedings being temporarily halted due to a lack of quorum took place on July 11 and Oct 21 last year.
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