Perikatan Nasional's top three leaders’ absence from Parliament during the weekly Prime Minister Question Time has received more flak, with a backbencher questioning if they had submitted any questions for Anwar during the recent eight weeks of sitting.
Taking to Facebook, Taiping MP Wong Kah Woh (above) shot down PN's defence that opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin, Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang did not have a chance to question Anwar even if they were present.
"When PN complained of their top trio having no chance to ask questions, the first question they should answer is, did PN top's trio ever submit any questions for PMQ?
"There will be no question to be chosen for an answer if there is no question submitted. Simple logic.
"Furthermore, the parliamentary process is, even if you don't submit any questions, or your questions are not chosen, you still have the chance to stand up and ask a second supplementary question, or even the third supplementary question if allowed by the speaker.
"Both sides of the house will be given equal opportunity to ask supplementary questions," said the former Public Accounts Committee chairperson.
Wong was responding to PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man who yesterday insisted the trio's absence should not be an issue, claiming they would not be able to question Anwar even if they had been in attendance on Tuesdays.
Tuan Ibrahim, as well as Tasek Gelugor MP Wan Saiful Wan Jan, used the same reasoning that supplementary questions would only be given to MPs from the opposite bench than the one who asked the main question.
Wong, however, pointed out that there had been exceptions for major issues, including for the first question of PMQ during the final day of the last sitting where a fourth supplementary question, relating to Anwar's China visit, was allowed.
"It is also the parliamentary convention that if the opposition leader is to stand up and request to speak, or in this case to ask a supplementary question, he will be given the first priority.
"The same goes for those who are the party's senior leaders. The PN trio fall into this category.
"However, when you are not there in the Dewan Rakyat, you definitely have no chance to ask a supplementary question, no matter how senior you are. Simple logic," he stressed.
An analysis of the Dewan Rakyat’s attendance records last year showed that the three opposition leaders were among those with the worst attendance between July 26, 2021, and March 23, 2022. - Mkini
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