KUALA LUMPUR: Dewan Rakyat has deferred debates on amendments to the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Bill 2021 (Act 342) to this coming Monday (Dec 20).

       Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun announced that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had written to the Dewan Rakyat as head of the House seeking an additional day for debates on the Bill.

       "The Prime Minister as head of the House has written to Dewan Rakyat secretariat seeking an additional day for debates to be held this Monday in accordance with Order 11(2) of the Standing Orders," he said when announcing this in the Dewan Rakyat Thursday (Dec 16).

       Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin then stood up to request that the Bill be deferred for its second and third reading.

       The Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Bill 2021 was scheduled to be tabled for second reading and put to vote in Dewan Rakyat on Thursday.