Media Statement
by DAPSY Acting National Secretary, Loke Siew Fook
on Wednesday, October 30, 2002
in Petaling Jaya

Rais Yatim's threat to Opposition MPs undemocratic and trying to cover the weaknesses of Ministers

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim's warning to the opposition MPs to stop the motion to cut RM10 from the salaries of ministers and deputy ministers or their pay may be halved (The Star, October 30) is most undemocratic and never heard of in the history Malaysian Parliament and probably the first in any Parliaments in the world!

In response to the four motions by opposition MPs including two from the DAP to deduct RM10 from the salaries of four Ministers for their failure to carry out their duties, Dr Rais warned that he could suggest cutting their salaries by half as they do not perform any duties except to criticize.

The motions by opposition MPs to deduct RM10 salaries of Ministers is just a symbolic gesture to bring an important point to the Parliament as a vote of no confidence to the respective Ministers for their unimpressive record of carrying out their duties. It is not meant to affect their monthly income but to warn them to improve their performance as a Minister.

The threat by Dr. Rais Yatim to halve the salaries of opposition MPs is like trying to prevent them to criticize the Ministers. It is most undemocratic and makes our parliamentary democracy a total mockery if Ministers are immune from criticisms and questions of their performance.

It's very disgusting when Dr Rais said that the opposition MPs should not forget that the majority in Dewan could file similar motions against them as the man himself is now advocating using the institution to violate the freedoms of MPs which he himself once criticize. In his doctoral thesis at King's College, University of London which are published in 1995 under the famous title, "Freedom under Executive Power in Malaysia" he said:

"With an overwhelming majority in Parliament of the same political party since Merdeka in 1957 it has now become a misconception to regard the Malaysian Parliament as the safeguard of rights and freedoms. In many respects that institution is the issuer of license to violate freedoms"

Dr. Rais don't seems to be ashamed of his "intellectual dishonesty" and in fact he is very proud when he said "The last time, it was my motion that kept the Batu Gajah MP out of the house and maybe I should introduce another motion on this matter against the opposition MPs"

Instead of using his position in the government to improve the situation and further democratize our Parliamentary institution as he wrote in his thesis as "the issuer of license to violate freedoms", he is racing to be the No 1. perpetrator of further violating the freedom and immunity to speak of the opposition Parliamentarians.

Right-thinking Malaysians should speak up in full force and tell Dr. Rais that Parliament is a venue for the opposition MPs to scrutinize the performance of the government and there should not be any punishments for the MPs for speaking up against any Ministers who failed their jobs.

All opposition MPs whether from DAP or Barisan Alternatif should seriously consider to refer the statement by Dr. Rais Yatim to Inter-Parliamentary Union as it clearly violate the freedom of MPs to criticize the government and they must also register their strongest protest to the Dewan Rakyat Speaker, Tun Mohd Zahir to remind Rais of the rights of the MPs to submit any motions for debate in the Dewan.