Malaysia's king seeks special parliamentary sitting before Aug 1

Kuala Lumpur

MALAYSIA'S king on Wednesday asked for a special parliamentary sitting to be convened before Aug 1, according to the speakers of both houses of Parliament, as the country remains under lockdown amid a surge in coronavirus cases.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin meanwhile has been hospitalised after suffering a bout of diarrhoea.

Two weeks earlier, King Al-Sultan Abdullah said the country's Parliament should reconvene as soon as possible to discuss steps that the government has taken to deal with the health and economic crises caused by Covid-19.

In a joint statement, the speakers of the lower and upper houses said the king had informed them of his request during a meeting held at the national palace on Tuesday.

"His Majesty's decree has been relayed to the prime minister," the statement read.Mr Muhyiddin said Parliament could reconvene by September at the earliest, once the daily new coronavirus infections fell to under 2,000 cases.

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On Mr Muhyiddin's medical condition, the prime minister's office said he started having diarrhoea on Tuesday night and was hospitalised the following morning. REUTERS