Malaysian security forces barred opposition lawmakers from entering parliament on Monday, as they protested the top legislative body’s two-week lockdown.
According to the government, the parliament was closed due to a coronavirus outbreak.
Around a hundred MPs gathered near the parliament demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and his cabinet.
Political tensions are developing over the government’s handling of the outbreak. Critics claim Muhyiddin is using COVID measures to maintain power.
Monday’s parliament session was to be the last of a short-notice session called after Muhyiddin’s coalition’s largest party asked him to resign.
Following the discovery of 11 coronavirus illnesses in the premises, officials announced that the parliament would be closed.
Malaysia’s Health Ministry said the legislature was deemed a high-risk venue, as four of the COVID cases detected among staff and others were suspected to be resulting from the fast-spreading delta variant.
But lawmakers and activists questioned the timing of the announcement.
King Sultan Abdullah blasted Muhyiddin’s government on Thursday for misleading parliament about the status of mandates issued during the COVID-19 state of emergency, which lasted seven months.
The opposition then immediately filed a motion of no confidence against Muhyiddin. It was expected to have been raised Monday.
