Kit Siang backs Azalina, Umno info chief points to 'open secret'

 

Veteran opposition lawmaker Lim Kit Siang has fully endorsed fellow Johorean MP Azalina Othman Said’s proposal on how Parliament can be reconvened.

In a statement today, Lim endorsed all seven of Azalina’s suggestions, which included ways to avoid a “no-confidence vote” and various bipartisan approaches to tackling the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I am impressed with Azalina’s call, which qualifies her to be the speaker of the Dewan Rakyat.

“I am disappointed by the actual speaker, Azhar Azizan Harun who has failed to uphold the rights, powers and position of Parliament... The speaker should provide leadership to defend Parliament’s rights, powers and privileges from encroachment and usurpation by the executive,” said Lim.

Azalina is currently in her fourth term as the Penggerang MP while Lim is the Iskandar Puteri MP. Azalina is also the deputy Dewan Rakyat speaker and is a former law minister.

In an open letter today, Azalina expressed her frustration with the MPs’ inability to seek answers from the government outside of Parliament.

Parliament, and other legislatures, have all been suspended due to the proclamation of emergency which took effect on Jan 11 and is set to expire on Aug 1.

Deputy Dewan Rakyat speaker Azalina Othman Said

Azalina proposed that all Parliament staff be vaccinated to allow the reconvening. If that was impossible, then meetings can be convened online.

She also proposed bipartisan initiatives to ensure check and balance, fair allocation of constituency funds and utilising all MPs as means of communicating health information to the public.

However, her most prominent proposal was for the forging of a bipartisan “interim emergency government” and a specific ordinance to allow Parliament to reconvene without a motion of no-confidence being tabled.

Azalina is the first prominent Umno figure to propose a unity government as a solution to the problems arising from a government uncertain of a majority.

Commenting on Azalina’s letter, Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan said it was an “open secret” that there are those in government who are worried that they would be toppled through Parliament.

“Now that Azalina has proposed a way to avoid a no-confidence vote, we should reopen Parliament and allow MPs, regardless of their parties, to debate on current affairs and speak up for the people they represent,” said Shahril.

In March, Umno’s annual delegates assembly had empowered party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to decide at a time of his choosing, to withdraw the party’s support for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s government.

Up until that point, Muhyiddin’s majority in Parliament was under no threat as he was able to pass Budget 2021 during the November-December sitting last year. - Mkini