In my nearly half a century in Parliament, I would have been ecstatic if the government-of-the-day had agreed to a parliamentary debate on the Auditor-General’s Report.
Yet the Perikatan Nasional (PN) Opposition MPs plunged Parliament into a one-hour chaos in their opposition to debate the 2021 Auditor-General’s Report and even worse, carried out a boycott of debate itself.
PN MPs had acted in a very irresponsible manner since the 15th General Election, not only challenging the Yang di Pertuan Agong’s advice to act in the national interest to provide political stability and ensure that there is national unity in plural Malaysia, but now undermining the important parliamentary role to provide check and balances against Executive excesses and abuses of power.
Mas Ermieyati Samsudin (PN-Masjid Tanah) did no service to her role as Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman when she objected to the debate, when she should have stayed in the Chamber during the debate to hear what MPs have to say on the Auditor-General’s Report as guidance for the PAC.
It would be ideal if there is a parliamentary rule for the Auditor-General’s Report to be debated, its reference to the PAC, and a parliamentary rule where the PAC report is then debated.
But the boycott by the PN MPs have undermined the whole process.
The question is when the PN MPs will act with greater responsibility to their parliamentary duties and functions.