Parliament Speaker doesn't need to be a headmaster - MP Gerik
SHAH ALAM - Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul, does not have to take on the role of 'headmaster' to monitor the attendance of every Member of Parliament in the Dewan Rakyat.
Gerik Member of Parliament Fathul Huzir Ayob said this is because all 222 Members of Parliament are professional individuals who always adhere to the Federal Constitution and the Rules of the Dewan Rakyat in carrying out their responsibilities as representatives of the people.
Fathul concurred with Beluran Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee that the suggestion to display the names of Members of Parliament who are absent from Dewan Rakyat sessions on the Parliament's website could potentially embarrass these representatives and the reputation of Parliament itself.
"I outline several reasons why the Speaker suggestion is considered inappropriate to implement.
"Firstly, I am concerned that this suggestion would only give the government an advantage in easily providing excuses for not attending Parliament.
"For example, ministers, deputy ministers, and even government MPs can give reasons why they were called to government agency meetings and so on.
"Different from the opposition, we need to present valid reasons such as sick leave and so on.
"However, in some cases, there is a need for opposition representatives to be unable to attend Parliament if there are urgent matters related to the party or constituents in their area," he told Sinar Premium yesterday.
Furthermore, Fathul also questioned the Speaker of Parliament's reluctance to adhere to the Rules of the Dewan Rakyat in addressing the issue of the attendance of Members of Parliament and the need to achieve the quorum for the session.
"For your information, just like the government, the opposition bloc also has a shadow cabinet arrangement.
"So,when there is free time that doesn't involve carrying the shadow cabinet's portfolio, Members of Parliament may have to use it to settle party matters, business, and so on.
"What's often absent from parliamentary sessions are government bloc Members of Parliament, leading to a situation where the quorum for the session is not met.
"Why force us to meet the quorum?" he asked.
Meanwhile, former Sipitang Member of Parliament, Datuk Yamani Hafez Musa, emphasised that there must be at least one representative from the Cabinet to attend parliamentary sessions on a rotating basis.
He said that although ministers or deputy ministers can be exempted from attending parliamentary sessions if they have official government duties, the government still needs to prioritise the attendance of ministers in each session.
"In addition, any Member of Parliament who is absent should have their names displayed for the information of the party leader, whip, and the public.
"If the implementation is transparent, where all names, regardless of whether they are from the opposition or the government, will be displayed if they are absent, I believe that this step is more professional," he explained.
