Umno minister Azalina Othman Said today took a swipe at Opposition Leader Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail for not studying the Standing Orders before filing a motion of no confidence.
Azalina, the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said if Wan Azizah was serious, she should have read the Standing Orders.
She said the opposition leader should have filed her motion to Parliament 14 days before it commenced its session (on Oct 19).
Opposition lawmakers with legal training should have guided her on the proper way to file the no-confidence motion, she added.
."The opposition has many lawyers; they should have guided her," she told reporters at Parliament.
She dismissed the opposition's intention to bring forward the no-confidence motion and have it debated in the Dewan Rakyat.
"You are political parties and you did not discuss (this motion). You filed the motion (during Parliament sitting), then you want to jump queue. The government business should be prioritised in the House.
Technical knockout
"Are you blaming the government for it? It is your own call (as to when to file the motion). Do we have to interpret the Standing Orders for you? (Do you think) we will guide you so you can kill us? Are you crazy?" she said, taking a jibe at Wan Azizah.
Azalina also implied that those in power would not act fairly to the opposition when a vote of no confidence is concerned.
"This is about the (BN) government. Are you telling us we have to interpret (the Standing Orders) fairly? No!
"We will make sure the BN government still runs the country. This is our duty to the people who gave us the five-year mandate.
"This is like playing ball and taking part in the Olympics: you have to strategise your game to win," she said.
"This (vote of no confidence) is called a technical knockout. Or, do you want to go through the back door? This is back-door game,” she said.
The motion filed on Oct 22 by Wan Azizah had made it to the Permanent Order Paper as item 31. A similar motion brought by PKR Petaling Jaya Selatan MP Hee Loy Sian was listed as item 27.
Azalina, who brought a government motion to suspend DAP lawmaker Lim Kit Siang on Oct 22, said it was beyond her powers to bring forward Wan Azizah's motion for debate.
Only the speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia has the power to do so, she added. -Mkini
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