After walkout, Hamzah says why waste time on Tabung Haji RCI briefing

 

Opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin said the government should not waste time on a special sitting to discuss the Tabung Haji royal commission of inquiry report if it amounts only to a ministerial briefing with no decision or vote.

His remarks came after opposition MPs walked out of the Dewan Rakyat when their request to postpone the sitting over Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s absence on health grounds was rejected.

“It is a briefing session. If it is just a briefing, what are they asking us to debate? If there is a matter or a motion to be tabled, then we can debate it. This has to be understood.

“For example, if the budget is tabled, that is a motion concerning the interests of the people, and we will debate it.

ADS

“But if it is the report that has already been released by the RCI, based on the commission’s findings and recommendations, the government and Tabung Haji management need to give serious attention to the proposed improvements to ensure that Tabung Haji continues to be managed excellently.

“That means once the recommendations have been given to the government and Tabung Haji, what else is there to debate?

Opposition MPs walk out of the Dewan Rakyat today

“Later, they will explain that for three years they have done this and that, and in the end there is nothing else, finished. Is that what they want to do, or is there something else?” Hamzah told a press conference at Parliament today.

Perikatan Nasional chief whip Takiyuddin Hassan had earlier invoked the Standing Orders to seek a postponement of the special sitting on the Tabung Haji RCI report.

A group of PAS and Wawasan Negara lawmakers subsequently walked out as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Zulkifli Hasan began the briefing.

Hamzah accuses Anwar of lacking transparency

Hamzah, who is the Wawasan president, also questioned why the RCI report only covered events up to 2020, saying subsequent developments were not addressed.

“This is what we think should happen. If the prime minister were in front of us, we could ask him, make our requests, and he could respond to the questions during the discussion.

“That is what we want because this is an issue where he (Anwar) said he was worried that the Malays would lose confidence. I think the Malays have already lost confidence because in Negeri Sembilan, it is clear that Malays do not have confidence in the Pakatan Harapan leadership,” he said.

Hamzah further accused the Harapan chairperson of failing to be transparent on Tabung Haji and other issues.

“I want to tell the people that we have lost confidence in a prime minister who does not explain the truth. So it does not matter when, whether in the past or now, it is the same if he does not explain the truth.

“We have repeatedly stated our principle of being forthright. Whatever we raise is meant to ensure that the government proves from the outset that it is being transparent in all matters, including Tabung Haji.

“That is why we said we wanted to debate it, but in the end it is merely a ministerial briefing where there will be no decision. We can hold a press conference, issue a statement, send a letter - we can do all of that, so there is no need to waste time,” he said.

Responding to the walkout, Anwar earlier questioned whether the MPs’ debate would focus on him or the findings of the RCI report. - Mkini