It doesn't take rocket science to hold a virtual parliament, Yeo tells Khairy

Former science minister Yeo Bee Yin has called on her successor Khairy Jamaluddin to step up and offer technological solutions so that Parliament can conduct a virtual sitting.

Yeo, who was energy, science, technology, environment and climate change minister in the Pakatan Harapan administration, asked why Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy was “extraordinarily silent” on advocating the use of technology in holding virtual parliamentary sitting in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"No rocket science is needed to operate parliament virtually. Zoom, Google, Microsoft and other technology companies already have existing solutions,” said Yeo, who is also Bakri MP.

“Parliament in many countries have started to operate virtually (fully or partially) not only in the developed countries like UK, Canada, Belgium, France, New Zealand and Luxembourg, but also in the developing countries like Poland, Maldives, Brazil, Angola and many others."

She asked Khairy who has been promoting technology use in contact tracing, testing facilities and patient care, to look at the many technology solutions available to allow Parliament to “operate meaningfully - virtually, physically or a mix of both”.

"Since its infamous power grab, Covid-19 has been used as a grand excuse by the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government for not holding any parliament session or parliamentary committee meeting as a proper democracy should.

"If Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and the PN government are confident of the majority support and unafraid to face the check-and-balance by opposition MPs, there are Standing Orders that can be amended to allow this if needed," she added.

Parliament, which will meet for only a few hours on Monday, will immediately adjourn after the opening address by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Muhyiddin's government had originally planned to table four motions and two bills during the one-day sitting.

Harapan has persistently called for the sitting to be extended with former minister Liew Vui Keong submitting an emergency motion to extend it to eight days. Meanwhile, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has also filed a no-confidence motion against Muhyiddin.

The move to limit the session has been filled with controversy and Parliament secretary Riduan Rahmat was transferred after less than three months in the job following the abrupt change in the parliament agenda.

Costly affair

Harapan MPs are also expecting the one-day sitting to be a costly affair given the hotel, food and travel allowances allocated to the 222 parliamentarians to attend the truncated gathering, particularly in the case for the 57 MPs from Sarawak (31), Sabah (25) and Labuan (one) who have to fly to the federal capital to attend the sitting.

"With the current and available technologies, there are a thousand and one ways to allow the parliament to continue to function as a check-and-balance mechanism for the executive branch of power during the Covid-19 pandemic," said Yeo.

"The impact of Covid-19 is unprecedented and the people's safety, security of livelihood and health issues have to be addressed by the government, albeit not the one they voted for."

Yeo said the parliamentary sitting is critical and any given government would have the good sense and responsibility to convene and debate how it can help overcome the Covid-19 induced crisis.

"Are we not, first and foremost, the people’s representatives to voice their utmost concerns, and Parliament is where we convene? 

"Will the PN government continue to use Covid-19 as an excuse to avoid proving their majority in the parliament as well as facing check-and-balance from the opposition?"  - Mkini