KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today explained his absence from the Minister’s Question Time (MQT) in Parliament, confirming he was summoned to Istana Negara to brief the Conference of Rulers on key developments, including preparations for the upcoming 47th ASEAN Summit.
In a statement following his attendance at the Asean Conference on Future-Ready Public Service, Anwar shared that the meeting was a routine pre-council session to discuss current affairs, including US President Donald Trump’s invitation to Malaysia for the summit, as well as Malaysia’s position on Trump’s proposed Gaza peace plan.
“(It’s just) a normal pre-council meeting of the Conference of Rulers discussing current developments, such as Trump’s upcoming visit and various policy issues, as well as preparations for Budget 2026,” he told reporters.
Earlier in the day, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul informed the House that Anwar would not be attending the MQT session, as he was called to the palace at 10 am.
This decision prompted the cancellation of the MQT, where Anwar was due to answer two important questions. Johari announced the change as the session began, explaining that the Prime Minister’s attendance was required at Istana Negara.
“This morning, we were supposed to have the Minister’s Question Time with two questions from the Honourable Member for Paya Besar (Datuk Mohd Shahar Abdullah-BN) and Masjid Tanah (Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin-PN),” Johari said.
“However, I’ve been informed that the Prime Minister is unable to attend as he has been summoned by the Conference of Rulers at 10 am.”
In response, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said tabled a motion to cancel the MQT and proceed with the normal Question Time.
The two deferred questions, relating to Trump’s Middle East peace plan and the federal government’s preparations for Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM 2026), will be rescheduled for another MQT session.
Anwar is expected to table Budget 2026 in Parliament this Friday. The 47th Asean Summit and related meetings, scheduled from October 26 to 28 in Kuala Lumpur, are anticipated to be the largest in Asean’s history. – October 7, 2025