Polls panel report accepted without debate, minority report rejected

By Shannon Teoh

April 03, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, April 3 — The findings of the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on electoral reforms was accepted without debate after the opposition refused to accept the Speaker’s decision to dismiss a motion to allow for a minority report.

Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia called for a vote on the report as Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers refused to debate the panel’s report and insisted instead that he had erred in not allowing MPs to debate whether a minority report should be attached to the main report that was tabled today.

“Do we want to debate this report or not?” he had asked but MPs were shouting at each other instead of answering him.

“If you don’t want to debate, then I will call for a vote,” Pandikar Amin (picture) said.

Barisan Nasional (BN) lawmakers voted in favour, defeating the opposition coalition.

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