防護服の閣僚が議会出席で大混乱　野党は退席　マレーシア

【クアラルンプールＡＦＰ＝時事】マレーシアで14日、新型コロナウイルス感染者と接触し隔離中だった閣僚2人が防護服姿で議会に出席し、野党議員らが退席する出来事があった。（写真は防護服姿でマレーシア議会に出席した閣僚2人。野党議員テレサ・コック氏提供）
　保健相と人的資源相の２人は今月、新型コロナの感染者と接触していたが、防護服、マスク、フェースシールド、手袋着用を条件に登院が認められた。この日は、重要な予算関連の議題の採決が行われることになっていた。
　だが、２人が席に座ると、野党議員らから怒号が飛び大混乱となった。ある野党議員はＡＦＰに対し「マレーシア民主主義の暗黒の日となった。無法状態だ」と述べた。
　ただ、野党議員も１人、同じく隔離中に防護服姿で登院していた。
　国営ベルナマ通信によると、議長は、防護服姿の閣僚らは救急車で移動し、別室に隔離されるなど対策を講じていたと主張、投票は実施された。野党議員らが多数退席したため、議題は簡単に可決された。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/12/16-09:05）

Two Malaysian ministers who should have been quarantining after being exposed to coronavirus voted in parliament in protective gear Monday, triggering an opposition walkout.
The politicians came into contact with Covid-19 patients earlier this month, but officials allowed them to partake in a key budget vote -- provided they wore gowns, face masks, shields and gloves.
But the sitting quickly descended into pandemonium, with opposition MPs shouting out in protest and most deciding to leave the chamber rather than cast their votes.
It is a black day for democracy in Malaysia because there is no rule of law, opposition lawmaker Xavier Jayakumar told AFP.
However, as well as the health minister and human resources minister, one opposition MP who should have been quarantining also turned up in parliament in protective gear.
The parliament speaker insisted safeguards had been taken, including having the lawmakers transported in an ambulance and placed in a special room, state news agency Bernama reported.
He rejected attempts to stop the vote, and the nine-month-old government easily won after the walkout.
Most MPs had already backed the main budget vote last month, a victory for embattled Prime Minister Muhyddin Yassin whose parliamentary coalition holds a wafer-thin majority.
But officials need to win several more crucial votes related to specific parts of the spending bill.
Muhyiddin seized power in March without an election after the collapse of a reformist coalition, but his government is highly unstable and has been accused of lacking legitimacy.