Not wrong to ask questions in Parliament, says minister

It is not wrong for MPs to ask questions in Parliament, Finance Minister II Johari Abdul Ghani said today.

Johari said this when asked if it was wrong for former cabinet members, such as his predecessor Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah, to ask questions about 1MDB in the House.

"It’s nothing wrong to ask a question. In Parliament, everybody can ask a question," Johari said when met in the Parliament lobby.

Husni was summoned to Bukit Aman today for him to make a statement his budget debate speech last week, which touched on 1MDB.

In his speech, Husni had questioned the purpose of 1MDB's existence and said repercussions from the 1MDB fallout could haunt Malaysia.

He also lamented attacks from Umno cybertroopers following his resignation.

Former deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin and former rural and regional development minister Shafie Apdal also spoke about 1MDB when debating on Budget 2017.

Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia said it is possible that they may have broken their oaths of secrecy if they spoke about cabinet secrets.

MPs do enjoy some degree of legal immunity for things uttered in the Dewan Rakyat. Husni resigned from the cabinet in July but remains BN's MP for Tambun.

Muhyiddin and Shafie were axed from the cabinet in July last year for criticising 1MDB.

They are now members of the opposition, with Muhyiddin helming Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) and Shafie heading Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan).- Mkini