Khairy Jamaluddin has mooted a weekly showdown between Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin while Parliament is in session.
This, he said, would be a stage for the opposition leader to prove his faction is capable of holding the government accountable.
Speaking during his podcast, Khairy said the weekly bout can be held at the start of Prime Minister Question Time (PMQT), which is held on Tuesdays.
“The prime minister has opened a ring, which I laud the prime minister and (Dewan Rakyat) speaker (Johari Abdul) for because now there is a PMQT, which we didn't have before.
“If I am the opposition leader I would ask or negotiate so that it is ‘adversarial’, a session for the prime minister to just answer the opposition leader for the first 10 to 15 minutes.
“That is the stage for the opposition leader to show that the opposition can do their duty as a check and balance to the government,” he said.
Khairy added it can also build an image that the opposition leader is the alternative prime minister, as is the case in the UK.
PMQT was introduced on Feb 14, replacing the regular Tuesday Minister's Question Time slot.
Three MPs are given a chance to pose main questions to the prime minister during the session, with others allowed to ask supplementary questions.
However, to date, Hamzah (above, right) has not taken part in any PMQT session.
Meanwhile, Khairy said it’s not just the opposition leader who should follow the example of the UK Parliament.
He said the opposition’s shadow cabinet should also make their presence felt.
“Of course, in Malaysia, the shadow cabinet is not official whereas it is official in the Westminster system - meaning they get staff, allocations, and such.
“But they (Malaysian shadow cabinet) can still carry out their functions,” he said.
However, the former health minister said that the opposition’s shadow cabinet suffers from poor branding and that most would not know who their shadow ministers were.
Hamzah has actually denied that the opposition has a shadow cabinet.
Instead, the opposition leader said they have “portfolio committees” that work in groups to check and balance the government.
PN’s seeming disinterest in policy
However, Khairy’s co-host - former Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan Suffian - said the opposition appeared to lack interest in actually serving as a check and balance.
He said Perikatan Nasional’s debates in Parliament, the issues they pick up on, and the social media content they produce all appear aimed at shoring up their standing with Malays while painting Pakatan Harapan as not doing enough for Malays.
“They don’t appear interested in correcting or balancing, they appear to be keener on doubling down or shoring up their positing among Malay voters.
“On other issues, I see PN as quite disappointing, especially in Parliament on questioning the budget, issues, or policies.
“Maybe they have leadership qualities but it is not highlighted because they want to highlight something else - that they are Malay warriors,” he said.
However, Khairy cautioned against painting the opposition with broad strokes.
He said with 222 MPs in Dewan Rakyat, there are lawmakers on both the government and opposition sides who speak with substance in their debates but don’t get noticed because their speeches are not “newsworthy”.
This is as those who speak about the Malays and Islam tend to get publicity instead, Khairy said.
He also said among the PN lawmakers whose speeches are constructive include Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal and Bachok MP Syahir Sulaiman.
On PN’s chances at forming government, however, both Khairy and Shahril agreed that the opposition severely lacks non-Malay support, which would make it very difficult for them to capture Putrajaya. - Mkini
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