THE Dewan Rakyat has deferred the passing of several crucial Bills on the last day of its meeting.

       Among them are the Sexual Harassment Bill 2021, Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Bill 2021 and Independent Police Conduct Commission Bill 2020.

       Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin informed the House that the government had decided to defer the second and third readings of the Bills under the Order Paper.

       She told Deputy Speaker Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon the Bills would be read during the next meeting in July.

       The Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Bill 2021 was tabled by the Health Ministry on Dec 14 last year and was supposed to have been passed the following day.

       However, the government decided to defer the reading following outcry by MPs over the excessive fines and prison terms to be imposed on companies and individuals for flouting Covid-19 rules.

       The Bill was supposed to have been passed during a special sitting held for the purpose on Dec 20 but was called off by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

       The Bill initially proposed a maximum RM100,000 fine or seven years’ jail under Section 24(a) for breaching Covid-19 regulations.

       Also deemed excessive was the proposed RM1mil for a corporate body under Section 25(b).

       Under the present Act 342, health authorities are only empowered to impose a maximum fine of RM1,000 on companies and individuals.

       MPs will also have to wait before they can pass the long-awaited Sexual Harassment Bill, which was tabled in Dewan Rakyat last Dec 15.

       The decision to defer the reading of the Bill came after Parliament’s bi-partisan special select committee on women, children and social development chairman Datuk Azalina Othman Said called for a meeting on Wednesday seeking to postpone the Bill.

       She secured an agreement from the government and Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) for the Bill to be passed at a later date.

       Meanwhile, M. Kulasegaran (PH-Ipoh Barat) expressed dismay at the decision to postpone the passing of the Independent Police Conduct Commission Bill 2020.