COMMENT | We don’t know what is Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s fear. Is he scared that members of Parliament might catch Covid-19 or is he worried that Parliament – the building – would be infected by this virus? It has not been explained but he has decided that Parliament will not function as it should.

On May 18, there will be a meaningless, symbolic convening of Parliament with 222 members of Parliament and 100 senators converging on Parliament – Covid-19 or not.

People’s elected representatives, unlike on previous occasions, will not have a role to play. They cannot debate the government’s policies, they cannot scrutinise its expenditure, they cannot even call the government to account for its actions.

On May 18, strangely, MPs will have no duty to discharge, no obligation to represent their electorates, no compulsion to speak for the nation. In short, they will have nothing to ...