‘Last Day for Ministers’ Replies’ in Parliament next

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Azalina Othman Said already has a “new-fangled theory” to become parliamentary practice in Malaysia.

KUALA LUMPUR: Suspended Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang lamented that it was already the common practice in Malaysia for Ministers to answer in one go parliamentary questions on the same subject-matter, but not at the date of the Minister’s own choosing.

“In fact, we are already establishing a new-fangled parliamentary practice where Ministers in the House do not have to answer questions but leave it to their Deputies and which is unheard of in other Parliaments.”

If Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Azalina Othman Said’s new-fangled theory is allowed to become parliamentary practice in Malaysia, added Lim who was DAP Parliamentary Leader, “maybe we should introduce Last Day for Ministers’ Replies, where Ministers can choose to give their written answers on the last day of a parliamentary meeting.”

“This would prevent MPs from pursing the subject-matter if unsatisfied with the answers as the Parliamentary session would have ended.”

Is this the “parliamentary reform” that Azalina was trying to introduce in the Malaysian Parliament?

The DAP elder statesman was commenting on Azalina claiming that she had not broken any parliamentary rule in trying to establish a “new-fangled parliamentary practice” to allow the Prime Minister or Minister to answer all questions on the same subject matter on a date of his or her choice.

“Can Azalina point out what parliamentary rule allows a Minister such avoidance of the principle of parliamentary control of the Executive?” asked Lim.

He pointed out that there has instead been talk of parliamentary reform to introduce a Prime Minister’s Question Time where the Prime Minister must be in the House to answer questions. “This is commonplace in other Parliaments but a rarity in Malaysia.”