Shallow queries, gang-ups frustrates Jeffrey

Opposition assemblyman Jeffrey Kitingan's takeway from the first post GE13 assembly sitting was that the DUN had lost its lustre as a dignified legislative body.

KOTA KINABALU: Bingkor assemblyman Jeffrey Kitingan had the surprise of his life  witnessing the conduct of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting over the last few days.

His takeaway after attending the first sitting under the new Barisan Nasional government following last month’s general election was that the august house had lost its lustre and  failed to rise to expectations of a dignified legislative body.

In his own words, the atmosphere in the DUN was akin to a “kandang sapi” (cowshed).

Jeffrey, who last sat in the august House in the 1990s, said the DUN was no longer a place where elected lawmakers can express their views and speak for the people, especially when debating the government’s policy.

“I find it is like a kandang sapi … there is no discipline, no control, no freedom of speech, and they (the BN reps) gang up together,  from the backbenchers to the ministers and  Speakers.

“Even the Speaker gets involved in the argument, making comments when he is supposed to control the conduct of the session,” he told reporters on the last day of the four-day DUN sitting today.

Annoyed by what he saw as shallow queries that threw him off his stride and ate up precious time, Jeffrey who is the State Reform Party (STAR Sabah) chairman said leaders today appeared limited by their attitude which was in turn dictated by indoctrination.

“They (backbenchers and ministers) are taking advantage of the Speaker (Salleh Tun Said Keruak).

“They kept interrupting, raising the Point of Order and asking for ‘penjelasan’ (explanation). But instead of asking me (to clarify), they go around talking about it. When I pointed out that it is not right (to do so), the Speaker does not adhere.

“I am surprised that there are things I can say outside but I cannot say inside the House, when it is supposed to be the other way around.

“(I can’t use) words like ‘autonomy’ and ‘negara’ and that is why I am very disappointed. We are supposed to progress from those colonial and old days to better days,” he said.

Let opposition do their part

Jeffrey said he was amazed that the elected representatives did not seem like they were working together for the good of the country and the people.

“We are one system … we are in the same system. The government has its role, so does the opposition.

“So why not let us express our part and let them (ministers) listen, and let the people listen if it is good.

“I was not even attacking the government, just merely giving suggestion how to improve the finance of the government, how to claim our rights and revenue from the collection of the federal government,” he said.

Jeffrey had during his debate on the motion of thanks to the Yang DiPertua Negri Tun Juhar Mahiruddin urged the government to claim its right under Schedule 10 to recover 40% of the revenue collected by the federal government.

“This is the Constitution. Imagine 40% of RM40 billion … this year they are projecting to collect RM40 billion in taxes, which is the nett revenue minus capitation and road grants.

“Lets just say the minimum, after deducting the two grants which may not even come up to RM5 billion, we will have RM35 billion.

“So 40% from that is RM14 billion, which is additional funds for Sabah plus the RM4 billion they collect from the state government.

“We can have about RM18 billion in state revenue and it is much better than the RM4 billion we are getting now.

“And the same thing goes with the oil taken from the state, which is taken improperly.

“I suggested that we request for a review because it is within our rights. We are not asking something that does not belong to us,” said Jeffrey.