KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians are eagerly anticipating the historic royal address by His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, which will take place on Monday during the opening of the First Meeting of the Third Session of the 15th Parliament. The address will be broadcast live at 10am on official channels as well as online platforms.
The ceremony will commence with the arrival of His Majesty and Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah Queen of Malaysia at Parliament Square, where Sultan Ibrahim will inspect a guard of honour. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, along with his deputies Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, other cabinet members, and the heads of foreign delegations are expected to attend the event.
According to the Parliament’s official calendar, this sitting will span 19 days, with a key focus on the parliamentary debate of the royal address by Members of Parliament from Feb 27 to March 7, followed by the ministries’ closing statements for four days beginning March 11.
The Dewan Rakyat session will then proceed with the introduction of several bills, including the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 (Bill 355) and a bill aimed at establishing a single national border agency (SBA).
The creation of the SBA was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during the tabling of Budget 2024 on Oct 13 last year, as part of a broader effort to enhance national defense and security preparedness.
The initial week of the Dewan Rakyat sitting is also expected to encompass discussions on the management of the Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) project by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
The previous session of the Dewan Rakyat was held on Nov 30 last year. – Bernama
