PETALING JAYA: Arau MP Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim is the Dewan Rakyat’s "most controversial" and funniest MP for the current term according to the Parliament Hansard from December 2022 to June 2023, says non-governmental organisation MYMP.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday (Sept 6), MyMP founder Lau Chak Onn said this was based on the words 'dewan riuh' typed into the Hansard referring to ruckuses in the lower house, while the words 'dewan ketawa' was for whenever laughter broke.
Stressing that the data was a way to make Handsard’s more interesting, Lau said Shahidan was linked to the words "dewan riuh" and "dewan ketawa" typed into the Hansard for 72 and 25 mentions respectively in the present Parliament sitting.
Trailing Shahidan was Pendang MP Datuk Awang Hashim, Jelutong MP RSN Rayer and Hulu Langat MP Mohd Sany Hamzan.
Lau also noted how Shahidan attended 99 out of the 103 parliament sessions and asked 57 questions during the 14th Parliament session lasting from July 2018 to October 2022.
Data from the Hansard, Lau said, also showed RSN Rayer was the "most controversial MP" during the 14th Parliament sitting with 531 attributions linked to "dewan riuh".
In second place was Shahidan followed by former Pasir Salak MP Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman.
The funniest MP was also Shahidan with 238 mentions linked to "dewan ketawa".
Other findings also saw Umno’s Datuk Seri Mohd Salim Sharif having a perfect attendance for the 14th Parliament session.
Lau said both Shahidan and Rayer were also effective and performing MPs based on their attendance and questions asked in Parliament.
He said this was one of the initiatives MYMP took to make Hansard’s more fun.
“Most people don’t even know what a Hansard is, and it (Hansard) is so important. If nobody reads them, these guys can get away with anything.
"It is our job as the rakyat to read the Hansards and my job as the founder of MyMP to make these things fun," Lau added.
MyMP is an initiative started in 2016 enlisting volunteers and developers to key in data about MPs allowing the public to know their elected politicians better.
