Malaysia king seeks special parliamentary sitting before August 1

FILE PHOTO: Malaysia’s King, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, inspects an honor guard during the 62nd Merdeka Day (Independence Day) celebrations in Putrajaya, Malaysia, August 31, 2019.REUTERS/Lim Huey Teng/File Photo

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s king on Wednesday asked for a special parliamentary sitting to be convened before Aug. 1, according to the speakers of both houses of parliament, as the country remains under lockdown amid a surge in coronavirus cases.

Two weeks earlier, King Al-Sultan Abdullah said the country’s parliament should reconvene as soon as possible to discuss steps that the government has taken to deal with the health and economic crises caused by COVID-19.

In a joint statement, the speakers of the lower and upper houses said the king had informed them of his request during a meeting held at the national palace on Tuesday.

“His Majesty’s decree has been relayed to the prime minister and it has been proposed to the prime minister that a special sitting be held before Aug.1,” the statement read.

Earlier, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said parliament could reconvene by September at the earliest, providing the average number of daily new coronavirus infections fell to under 2,000 cases.

Malaysia has reported a total caseload of 751,979 infections as of Wednesday, with over 5,000 deaths.