The PAS Deputy President, Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man has joined the former Bersatu Information chief, Wan Saiful Wan Jan to defend the indefensible to exonerate the truancy of the three Perikatan Nasonal (PN) leaders – Muhyiddin Yassin, Hadi Awang and Hamzah Zainudin – from Parliament during the Prime Minister’s Question time (PMQT) for eight long weeks from February to April 2023..
Is there another Parliamentary Opposition Leader or Prime Minister-designate in another Parliament in the world who absents himself during PMQT for eight long weeks?
In the House of Commons in United Kingdom, the clash between the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the Opposition Leader, Keir Starmer is commonplace. But in Malaysia, it is a rarity.
Everybody knows that Keir Starmer is the Prime Minister-designate, but is Hamzah Zainudin, the Opposition Leader, the Prime Minister-designate?
If Perikatan Nasional (PN) forms the government, it is either Muhyiddin Yassin or Abdul Hadi Awang who will be Prime Minister, and not Hamzah who is only in the second echelon of the leadership in Bersatu.
‘The Opposition trio of Muhyddin, Hadi and Hamzah have made dubious parliamentary history for Malaysia for their truancy from Parliament during PMQT for eight long weeks.
Is the any reason for their truancy?
Was it an act of protest against the Anwar unity government?
There is none except for the inferiority complex of the PN trio when facing the 10th Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim.
The PMQT is one of the major parliamentary reforms which Anwar introduced in the 15th Parliament but it would appear that the PN is opposed to such a major parliamentary reform.
In fact, Tuan Ibrahim and Wan Saiful, both Members of Parliament, should be referred to the Committee of Privileges of the Dewan Rakyat for misrepresenting the “powers and privileges” of the Dewan Rakyat in exonerating Muhyiddin, Hadi and Hamzah for playing truant at all the PMQTs during the eight-week Parliament from February to April 2023.
Tuan Ibrahim said the absence of the PN leadership trio during the PMQTs was no issue as many people misunderstood the need to be present during the PMQT session every Tuesday.
He said: ”During the PMQT session, not everyone can ask questions (to the prime minister), if PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang is present, he can’t even ask questions.
“Only those who asked the oral question can do so, when the prime minister answers, the same person can ask additional questions and not just anyone can interrupt.”
Tuan Ibrahim is even more culpable of misrepresenting the “powers and privileges” of Parliament as Wan Saiful, who at least said that during PMQT, only the MP called by the Speaker can stand to ask a question and the rest of the MPs will not be allowed to interject.
Both Tuan Ibrahim and Wan Saiful are guilty of misrepresenting the “powers and privileges” of Parliament, for if Hadi had stood up to ask a supplementary question during PMQTs, he would be given priority because of his rank and position.
The Speaker will be guilty of the most unparliamentary conduct if he had not given Hadi priority over other backbenchers.
The Speaker will have a problem if all three PN leaders – Hadi, Muhyiddin and Hamzah – stood up at the same time to ask a supplementary question to the Prime Minister.
But the Speaker was spared this problem as all the three PN leaders never stood up at the same time to ask a supplementary question to Anwar, as they were collectively absent at all the PMQTs in all the eight weeks of the recent Parliament.
I would have expected the three PN leaders to dominate the PMQTs but the three PN leaders did not even submit a single question during the eight weeks of PMQTs. Can the PN trio explain why?
It is regrettable that the two MPs, Tuan Ibrahim and Wan Saiful, should misrepresent the proceedings of the Dewan Rakyat.
Dewan Rakyat Standing Order 80 (1) stipulates that “any matter which appears to affect the powers and privileges of the House” shall be referred to the Committee of Privileges of the Dewan Rakyat, which should “consider any such matters to them referred and to report on them to the House”
Standing Order 80 (2) states:.
“Whenever the House is not sitting a member may bring an alleged breach of privilege to the notice of Tuan Yang di-Pertua who may, if he is satisfied that a prima facie breach of privilege has been committed, refer such matter to the Committee, which shall report thereon to the House.”
Both Tuan Ibrahim and Wan Saiful should be hauled up to appear before the Committee of Privileges to explain themselves.