The bill in question was on the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (Amendment) 2017 that was read by deputy minister of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Henry Sum Agong.
The bill was supposed to be seconded by either a deputy minister or a minister before it could be debated by MPs.
However, deputy speaker Ismail Mohamed Said announced the sitting would be adjourned for 10 minutes.
Earlier, opposition MPs Steven Sim (DAP-Bukit Mertajam) and G Manivannan (PKR-Kapar) had asked the speaker to adjourn proceedings for a few minutes due to the absence of a minister or deputy minister to second the bill.
“Adjourn the Dewan. It is shameful,” Sim had said.
However, after the brief break, the deputy speaker returned to say he had adjourned proceedings because he needed to use the restroom.
Manivannan stood up to say: “That is a good tactic.”
At this point, Ismail said Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan was present to second the bill and that he had earlier been in the special chambers, a separate room from where the Dewan Rakyat proceedings were being held.
“He heard the presentation (by Henry Sum) just now,” said Ismail, prompting Manivannan to ask if Kamalanathan was following the proceedings in the special chambers or the Dewan Rakyat.
Ismail then asked for the bill to be tabled for a second reading and to be debated.