Substantive motion under S.O. 43 to review decision of Deputy Speaker YB Datuk Ronald Kiandee disallowing amendment to Motion of Thanks to establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the 30-year problem of illegal immigrants in Sabah reducing Sabahans into a minority in their own homeland

I have faxed notice to the Speaker, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin to move a substantive motion to review and overrule the decision of Deputy Speaker Datuk Ronald Kiandee in disallowing me from moving an amendment to the Motion of Thanks for the Royal Address yesterday in order to establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the 30-year problem of illegal immigrants in Sabah, reducing Sabahans into a minority in their own homeland.

My substantive motion reads:

“That under Standing Order 43 the House reviews the decision of Deputy Speaker YB Datuk Ronald Kandee in disallowing MP for Ipoh Timor YB Lim Kit Siang from moving an amendment to the Motion of Thanks for the Royal Address on Thursday, 22nd May 2008 and resolves that the decision of the Chair was wrong and misconceived as it is contrary to parliamentary conventions and practices in Malaysia and the Commonwealth.”

As a substantive motion under S.O. 43 shall not require more than two days’ notice, this means that it should be able to be debated by the Dewan Rakyat next week.

In the first parliamentary meeting after the 1982 general election, the first of the five general elections under the premiership of Tun Dr. Mahathir, I had moved an amendment to the Motion of Thanks for the Royal Address in the Dewan Rakyat on 12th October 1982.

The amendment, adding to to the Motion of Thanks, was to include the following:

“And noting the grave law and order problem created by the influx of illegal Indonesian illegal immigrants causing armed robberies and murders, URGES the government to crack down on the illegal Indonesian immigrants by estsblishing a Special Task Force III (Indonesian Illegal Immigrants) to stop the influx of illegal Indonesian immigrants.”

The amending motion to the Motion of Thanks was accepted by the Speaker at the time, Datuk Mohamed Zahir Ismail, who went on to be the longest-serving Parliament Speaker for 22 years from 1982 to 2004.
The amending motion was defeated in a voice vote on 13rd October 1982 after a debate.

In the Indian Parliament, there would be scores of amendments to the Motion of Thanks to the Presidential Address every year.

Robert Kiandee cannot be more wrong when he said that it was not proper “tidak sopan” to amend the Motion of Thanks, as it is universally accepted parliamentary practice to amend Motion of Thanks for the Address by the head of state, as it is a debate on the government’s policy for the coming year, allowing for any policy proposal to be raised, whether in speeches or by way of amending motions.

Otherwise, there would be no need for the Dewan Rakyat to spend 12 days to debate the Royal Address, with 7 days for debate by MPs and 5 days for Ministers’ winding-up, as all that the MPs and Ministers should do is to stand up to express thanks to the Yang di Pertuan Agong for the Royal Address – which could be done in a matter of a few minutes each!

* Lim Kit Siang,  DAP Parliamentary leader  & MP for Ipoh Timor