KUALA LUMPUR: Government MPs are not serious about working for the rakyat, claim Opposition lawmakers.
Perikatan Nasional chief whip Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said the government bloc was also being unfair to the Opposition by not debating the motions put forward by the latter.
“Standing Order 15 (4) states that motions brought forward by non-government lawmakers should be accepted.
“The Opposition is of the view that the current government is not serious in performing Parliament’s functions,” the Kota Baru MP told reporters after the brouhaha in the Dewan Rakyat earlier Thursday (May 25).
Also present at the press conference were several other Perikatan lawmakers.
Earlier, Dewan Rakyat proceedings were temporarily halted after the Opposition called for a bloc vote on a motion for Parliament not to adjourn until the disposal of two Bills as stated in the Order Paper.
However, the Opposition's attempt to block the motion failed after Deputy Speaker Datuk Ramli Mohd Nor announced that 83 MPs agreed to proceed with the government’s business in the Order Paper, 52 MPs opposed, while 86 were absent, and one (Ramli) did not vote as he was chairing the session as the deputy speaker.
Takiyuddin also questioned the absence of government lawmakers during the bloc vote in the August House earlier.
“Where are the government members, the Prime Minister, deputy prime ministers and Cabinet members?
“With the result siding with the government, it means that they’re rushing to leave early, as if there are no more issues to be discussed. Just stick to making films then!” he said.
Takiyuddin also claimed that the government had yet to list out the Bills that will be tabled and debated for the remaining days of the Parliament session.
He added that the government’s move would not give enough time to the Opposition to deliberate about the Bills.
“There are seven days of the Parliament sitting left, but not even one Bill has been put forward until now (by the government).
“Will they end the upcoming sessions earlier? Will they leave right after the Ministers' Question Time?
"What kind of Parliament is this? The Opposition is here to debate!
“We’re against the move by government lawmakers who caught us by surprise with the sudden tabling of some Bills. What’s the point?” he said.
The second meeting of the 15th Dewan Rakyat's second session will be until June 15.
