Shahar Abdullah, who leads the government backbenchers, said the decision is justified given the composition of the Dewan Rakyat, where the government is backed by 93 backbenchers.
He stressed the need for fair apportionment of questions given that oral questions are considered crucial on matters concerning public interest.
These backbenchers are now allowed six questions, up from five in the previous session, while the opposition’s allocation has been dropped from five to four.
The decision made by the Speaker (Johari) is balanced and appropriate in response to our request,
Shahar told FMT.
The Paya Besar MP also thanked Johari for approving their request, based on the composition of the House, and described it as a positive step toward parliamentary reforms.
On Saturday, Alor Setar MP Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden claimed they were informed that the list of oral questions allowed from Perikatan Nasional MPs had been reduced to four.
The PAS Youth chief described this as an attempt to stiffle the opposition’s voice.
A check with the Dewan Rakyat schedule on the Parliament’s website found that six government representatives will pose oral questions today.
They are Khoo Poay Tiong (Kota Melaka), Bakhtiar Wan Chik (Balik Pulau), Andi Suryady Bandy (Kalabakan), P Prabakaran (Batu), Manndzri Nasib (Tenggara), and Lee Chean Chung (Petaling Jaya).
Members of the opposition who have also submitted their oral questions are opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin (Larut), Ismi Mat Taib (Parit), and Muslimin Yahaya (Sungai Besar).
This session will focus on the presentation of the 2025 budget by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the finance minister, on Friday.
There is also a ministerial briefing on the controversial Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISBH), which is being investigated for several crimes, scheduled for tomorrow. - FMT
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