MPs Not Sworn In Cannot Attend Dewan Rakyat Sittings

All the 222 MPs must be sworn in on the first day of the first session of the 13th Parliament on June 24 or they will be prohibited from attending the Dewan Rakyat sittings and become "strangers of the House", Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia said Tuesday.

He said no MP could stay away from the swearing-in without a valid reason.

Standing Order No. 1 states that all MPs must take the oath on the first day of the new session after the election of the speaker.

"If you don't, it is a mockery of your own procedures as a 'wakil rakyat' (people's representative), a mockery of Parliament, the laws and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong," he told reporters after opening a briefing session for MPs at Parliament House.

He was asked to comment on a claim that Opposition MPs planned to stay away from the swearing-in to demonstrate their boycott of the results of the 13th general election held on May 5.