Pandikar turns down opposition's bid to review bloc voting

PARLIAMENT | The opposition's bid to have the Dewan Rakyat review the results of a bloc vote on the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry's (KPDNKK) portion of Budget 2018 was turned down today. 

In his ruling, Dewan Rakyat speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia maintained the House's decision that only 51 opposition lawmakers had voted against the budget bill last Monday, instead of 52 as claimed by the opposition.

He admitted that a total 52 opposition MPs had taken part in the bloc voting, but said the voting paper of the 52nd lawmaker, Julian Tan (DAP-Stampin), was not signed by G Manivannan (PKR-Kapar), who had called for the vote. 

He also ruled that the bloc voting mooted by the opposition was frivolous, as some of the lawmakers had gone for prayers on that night, and all MPs were fatigued due to the prolonged sitting the previous day. 

"When I consider all this, there is nothing you can describe it as, apart from the bloc voting asked on that day, besides frivolous," he said, further questioning whether the voting was done to embarrass the ruling coalition. 

[More to follow]

- Mkini