Yang di-Pertuan Agong Opens First Session Of 12th Parliament - Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 (Bernama) -- The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, today opened the first session of the 12th Parliament following the general election on March 8.

Tuanku Mizan and the Raja Permaisuri Agong, Tuanku Nur Zahirah, were greeted on arrival at the Parliament grounds by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and their wives, Datin Seri Jeanne Abdullah and Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, respectively. Their Majesties were accompanied by Abdullah, Najib and their wives to the royal stage.

Their Majesties were also greeted by the new Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia, and the President of the Dewan Negara, Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Pawanteh.

Tuanku Mizan then received the Royal Salute and the national anthem "Negara Ku" was played by the Royal Malay Regiment central band led by music director Major Zailani Mohd Okhtat.

This was followed by the hoisting of the Royal Flag and a 21-gun salute was fired by the 41st Ceremonial Battery.

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong then inspected a guard-of-honour mounted by four officers and 102 men of the First Battalion Royal Malay Regiment headed by Major Mohd Radzi Othman.

After inspecting the guard-of-honour, the King returned to the royal stage and received the Royal Salute for the second time, and the "Negara Ku" was played again.

Their Majesties were then accompanied by Abdullah, Najib and their wives into the Parliament House.

At 10.30 am, the ceremonial bell was rung and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong entered the Dewan Rakyat gallery accompanied by the Speaker, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia.

Prime Minister Abdullah presented the text of the royal address to the King for the opening of the first session of the 12th Parliament.

The first meeting of the first session of the Dewan Rakyat begins Wednesday. The House will sit for 16 days up to May 27.

[From http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=329629]