Denying flood debate in Dewan ‘unparliamentary,’ says Tok Mat

 

Mohamad Hasan says there is no bigger agenda than the extraordinary flood crisis that hit the country a few days ago. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Denying a debate on the flood situation in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday was “unparliamentary” and “a serious neglect of responsibility,” Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan said today.

Describing Parliament as the most important democratic institution in the country, Mohamad said it should not just function according to a prepared agenda but should be alive to the situation at hand.

“There is no bigger and major agenda than the extraordinary flood crisis that hit the country a few days ago.

“Denying an urgent motion in Parliament to debate the most pressing issue of national interest at the most critical and necessary moment was a very insensitive, ‘unparliamentary’ act and a serious neglect of responsibility,” he said in a statement.

Yesterday, during the one-day extension of the Dewan Rakyat sitting, calls from MPs to debate the government’s flood response were blocked by Speaker Azhar Harun on the grounds that it was not on the day’s order paper.

Mohamad, who is better known as Tok Mat, said Parliament was the place for the government to explain its actions in dealing with crises, and that it should not be reserved just for press conferences.

“The Parliament of Malaysia must be a first-class Parliament and not an ordinary institution. It seems that Malaysia is falling behind in the maturity of its democracy if we have a parliamentary leadership that prioritises meeting agendas over government accountability to the people.

“The Malaysian Parliament should be better than what it is at the moment.” - FMT