Various Political Issues Expected to Heat Up Dewan Rakyat Sitting

KUALA LUMPUR: The Second Meeting of the Fifth Session of the 15th Parliament (2026), which begins today, is expected to be more heated than usual, following several political developments over the past few months that have seen significant changes in the seating positions of government and opposition Members of Parliament.

In addition, several “sensitive” Bills are also set to be tabled during the 16-day sitting, which is expected to spark heated debates among MPs.

The sitting will also take place as the Johor state election campaign heats up ahead of the polls on July 11, with the election campaign set to officially begin this Saturday.

Changes on the first day of the Dewan Rakyat sitting will certainly be directed at the seating position of Pagoh MP Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who previously sat in the front row of Block G, next to Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin, when he held the position of PN Chairman.

The turmoil that has hit BERSATU and PN over the past year, leading to a “separation” between PAS and BERSATU, has seen Muhyiddin moved to Block E.

The BERSATU President’s seat has now been replaced by the new PN Chairman, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, who is also the Kemaman MP.

Hamzah, who is also the Larut MP, retains his seat as Opposition Leader after being reappointed to the position on June 13.

Hamzah, who established Parti Wawasan Negara after being sacked from BERSATU, took over from Ahmad Samsuri, who held the position for less than a month.

Reduction in government bloc

In addition, today’s Dewan Rakyat sitting will also see a reduction in the membership of two government bloc MPs, after Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad resigned as Pandan and Setiawangsa MPs respectively on May 17.

The decision was made after both former ministers were no longer “on the same page” with PKR’s leadership.

They later established Parti Bersama Malaysia (BERSAMA) and intend to contest both seats again in the upcoming General Election.

Meanwhile, several “hot” Bills are scheduled to be tabled for second reading during this sitting, including the Constitution (Amendment) (No 2) Bill 2026, which aims to separate the roles of the Attorney General and the Public Prosecutor.

The Constitution (Amendment) (No 2) Bill 2026 was referred to the Dewan Rakyat Special Select Committee on March 3 to give space to all relevant parties to refine and scrutinise the Bill after it was tabled for first reading on February 23.

Also listed in today’s Order of Business are the Urban Renewal Bill (PSB) 2025 and the Mufti (Federal Territories) Bill 2024, after their second readings were postponed several times previously.

The PSB Bill was tabled for first reading on August 21 last year and for second reading on August 28, but was not debated for a decision before being postponed.

This followed objections from various parties, including MPs and residents’ associations, including over the consent threshold which was claimed to be too low and the lack of clear protection and compensation for residents.

At the same time, two Bills are scheduled to be tabled for first reading today, namely the Cybercrime Bill 2026 and the Road Transport (Amendment) Bill 2026.

The absence of two PKR MPs, in addition to several other party MPs seen as leaning towards Rafizi, raises the question of whether government-sponsored Bills, especially the “sensitive” ones, will be able to secure Dewan Rakyat approval.

Previously, Constitutional expert Associate Professor Dr Muhammad Fathi Yusof raised the possibility that several “sensitive” Bills risk not being passed with a two-thirds majority.

He said that previously, the government essentially had the support of about 150 MPs, and any Bill approval requires a two-thirds majority of 148 votes.

In March, the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2026 to limit the Prime Minister’s term to 10 years was not passed by the Dewan Rakyat after failing to secure a two-thirds majority of MPs, with only 146 MPs supporting it, while 32 MPs were absent and 44 MPs abstained.

Berita Harian