Are you a govt lapdog, Ramkarpal asks Speaker

 

KUALA LUMPUR: Ramkarpal Singh (PH-Bukit Gelugor) caused an uproar in the Dewan Rakyat this morning by asking Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun if he was “a government lapdog”, over his decision not to table the Emergency Ordinance in the Dewan Rakyat.

“You were also a lawyer. You understand that the ordinance and proclamation of emergency must be brought to Parliament.

“The Speaker must understand rules that regulate the House, and that it cannot supersede the Constitution.

“Are you a government lapdog,” Ramkarpal then asked, causing a stir among government MPs.

“You have disgraced this Dewan. You are not fit to chair,” he said, before asking Azhar to resign.

In response, Azhar said the special sitting was held under Standing Order 11(3).

“Under this order, it is the prime minister who notifies me of the need to have a sitting. It is also the prime minister who determines the agenda of the sitting. The provision is very specific,” he said.

However, Ramkarpal persisted, asking if Standing Order 11(3) superseded the constitution.

Salahuddin Ayub (PH-Pulai) then weighed in, telling the Speaker that he was misleading the House.

“The King decreed that the emergency ordinance should be put up for debate in the Dewan Rakyat,” he said.

Meanwhile, Gobind Singh Deo (PH-Puchong) said voting was crucial to gauge if the government had failed in its efforts to control Covid-19 despite the Emergency being in place.

“If the government has failed, then it means the prime minister has failed too,” he added.

Gobind added that the sitting should have been held earlier and not now when the number of daily cases had breached 17,000 (as of yesterday).

He also asked the Speaker to cite the Standing Order under which a limit could be placed on the number of MPs in the House.

“The prime minister needs to show he has the majority but if there is a limit on the number of MPs who can attend, then how can we show there is a majority.

“This should not be allowed as it will only show that the prime minister does not have majority support,” Gobind said.

William Leong (PH-Selayang) called for motions to be tabled to allow MPs to vote, including on the Emergency.

“The role of Parliament will otherwise be destroyed. Speaker, I hope you know what you are doing. You are also a lawyer,” Leong said.

Shafie Apdal (Warisan-Semporna) also questioned why MPs were not allowed to vote on the Emergency.

“Why no voting and debates during this sitting? The Emergency must be debated and voted on,” he said.

Steven Sim (PH-Bayan Baru) said the Speaker had the responsibility to uphold the law and to ensure the King’s decree for a proper Parliament sitting was followed.

Meanwhile, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said if the government wanted to inform MPs of a particular matter, it could issue a White Paper instead of holding a five-day sitting to explain the recovery plan.

“There is a need to debate the suffering the Rakyat is enduring, but this is not on the agenda.

“For five days we will listen to the ministers explain their plans, which have been ineffective. Since announcing the plans, the cases have surged,” he added.

“When do we start talking about how we are going to overcome the pandemic?”

Government MPs fight back

Ismail Mohamed Said (BN-Kuala Krau) said the sitting was held under Standing Orders 11(3) and 14, and Parliament can limit the number of MPs and the duration of the sitting.

After almost an hour, law minister Takiyuddin Hassan (PN-Kota Bharu) stood up to give his take on the issues raised.

“Our standing orders are part of the Constitution. In the context of Parliament this is normal. In 2009, a special sitting was held on the Israeli invasion,” Takiyuddin said.

According to the agenda for the special five-day Dewan Rakyat sitting, the prime minister and relevant ministers will be briefing the House. This will be followed by a question-and-answer session where MPs can seek further explanations and give their views on the matter. - FMT