Azalina ‘confirmed’ Executive messing with Parliament

Parliamentary reforms should be the sole prerogative of Parliament and not contingent on Executive or Cabinet approval.

KUALA LUMPUR: Ironically, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Azalina Othman Said did not realise that “she had just publicly confessed to the sin of executive interference in parliamentary affairs”, said DAP Parliamentary Leader Lim Kit Siang in a statement. “She confirmed that the Cabinet had to give the final approval on January 20 to three of four parliamentary reforms.”

“This is March 10. The proposed parliamentary reforms have still not been tabled in the House. This does not bespeak of efficiency of Parliament or the Speaker’s Office.”

Lim, who has been suspended from Parliament, pointed out that parliamentary reforms should be the sole prerogative of Parliament and not contingent on Executive or Cabinet approval. “This has highlighted the pertinence and relevance of the Citizens’ Declaration of 4th March 2016.”

In Paragraph 37 of the Declaration, added Lim, it stressed on the “much-needed democratic and institutional reforms to restore the important principle of the separation of powers among the executive, legislature and judiciary to ensure the independence, credibility, professionalism and integrity of our national institutions”.

Lim was commenting on Parliament Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia announcing that three of his four proposals for parliamentary reforms would go ahead. “He mentioned Minister’s Question Time on Tuesday and Thursdays, reduction of the period for submission of questions from MPs to 10 days from the existing 14 days and a second Chamber to deal with emergency motions tabled by lawmakers.”

The Speaker’s announcement was followed by a statement by Azalina pledging that the government was committed to the successful implementation of Parliament’s transformation, noted Lim. “She disclosed that the Cabinet had agreed to three of the four proposals at its meeting on January 20.”

“She even thanked the Speaker for clarifying to the media on any misunderstanding that the executive was interfering in the affairs of the legislature.”

Just as it would be unthinkable that court rules and practices should first be vetted and approved by the Cabinet, argued Lim, parliamentary reforms should not be dependant on Cabinet approval. “Malaysia should accept and practise the principle of the doctrine of separation of powers among the executive, legislature and judiciary.”

Parliamentary Reform in Malaysia seems to be a most peculiar animal in the world of Parliaments, continued Lim. “In other countries, parliamentary reforms take the development of parliamentary democracy to a higher stage.”

In Malaysia, he charged, “we are trying but failing to achieve what had been parliamentary practice in the early decades of nation-building.”

For instance, he said, other countries evolved Question Time to a higher and more specific initiative of Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQ) to require the Prime Minister to personally account for his government’s actions in accordance with the principle that he is “primus inter pares” – first among equals.

In fact, said Lim, the parliamentary practice of PMQ in the House of Commons in the United Kingdom, where the Prime Minister appears in person in Parliament to answer questions on fixed days for a fixed time has a history of more than half a century.

In Malaysia, lamented Lim, “we are creating world parliamentary history with parliamentary reform where the ‘Prime Minister’s Question Time’ ends up as ‘Minister’s Question time’ and we have the Parliament Speaker justifying it by claiming that it was the same”.

The DAP veteran recalled Pandikar saying “this is the same. Just the question of name because during the Minister’s question time, the Prime Minister will be around to answer, the Ministers will be around to answer too.”

What poppycock, fumed Lim. “Even school children know that Prime Minister’s Question Time was very different from Minister’s Question Time.”

Najib has got 10 Ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department, said Lim. “Najib must give an undertaking that he would personally take all questions directed at the Prime Minister during Prime Minister’s Question Time.”

“His appearance in Parliament at PMQT was as rare as his appearance during the Question Time in Parliament. Where’s the parliamentary reform?”