“It is a mere briefing session by the minister,” said Beruas MP Ngeh Koo Ham, adding that he would appeal against the rejection of his four motions, including one on revoking the present emergency laws and introducing a new emergency bill.

Ngeh said the new emergency law ought to be tabled as a bill and passed as a law in Parliament, so it could be debated on, saving the good bits of the earlier ordinance and purging the unnecessary provisions.

In a press conference in Parliament, Ngeh said his other rejected motions included the outright revoking of the emergency period as the existing disease prevention laws were enough. He said the emergency was scaring off investors.

Ngeh said the speaker had rejected all his motions as per the standing orders but he would appeal for the motions to be allowed. He said the government appears uninterested in allowing decisions or votes to be taken on key matters.

Ngeh said a vote to amend the standing orders to allow a hybrid session, where part of the session could be held online, was also foregone to avoid voting of any sort.

“We have reached a situation that is ridiculous. I suppose this government is no longer functioning as a proper government, they just want to stay in power and avoid any sort of voting.

“This session is a kopitiam chat session. It is a mere briefing session by the minister,” he said.

Ngeh said the opposition had put the country first by giving the Perikatan Nasional the freedom to do as it wished to manage the Covid-19 crisis but PN had failed to do so due to its incompetence.

He said a more competent cabinet should be considered to save the country from the worsening pandemic.

“The 70-odd MPs who are ministers (and deputy ministers) have been rated as a failure, they are not performing. We must put aside partisan politics and bring on competent ones. Perhaps some ministers from the opposition camp. We hope the PN will consider this for our nation,” he said.