Day: June 30, 2008

This is the 30-minute video clip of the parliamentary proceeding today resulting in the first major walkout by almost one-third of the MPs in Parliament – the 80 MPs from PKR, PAS and DAP of Pakatan Rakyat.

A second substantive motion to review the Speaker’s decision to allow the unprecedented abuse of parliamentary standing orders by the Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, will be submitted to Parliament to allow for a full debate next week of parliamentary practices, procedures and rules – provided time is allocated for such a substantive motion which requires only two days’ notice.

For video click –> Continue reading “80 Pakatan Rakyat MPs’ walkout in Parliament today (video)”

This is the video clip of the parliamentary proceeding on the two-day suspension of DAP MP for Puchong, Gobind Singh Deo. Gobind was suspended in an altercation with the Speaker, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin during question time today.

I had said subsequently in Parliament that Gobind’s suspension is unfair and wrong and that I would be moving a substantive motion to review the Speaker’s decision.

As only two days’ notice is required for such a substantive motion, I hope there could be a debate and vote on it in Parliament on Monday.

Part 1

Part 2

Some 80 Pakatan Rakyat Members of PKR, PAS and DAP staged a “walk out” of the Dewan Rakyat this morning in protest against the reckless disregard of parliamentary practices, procedures and rules when despite strong opposition protests, Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak was allowed to misuse Standing Order 14 (1)(i) to make a “ministerial statement” on his support of the Report of the Mid-Term Review of the Ninth Malaysia Plan.

The “ministerial statement” by Najib should be made by the Deputy Prime Minister when he seconded the motion of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on the Ninth Malaysia Plan Mid-Term Review in the Dewan Rakyat last Thursday.

For reasons best known to Najib, the Deputy Prime Minister did not say anything when he stood up to second the Prime Minister’s speech.

Having missed the opportunity to present his views on the Ninth Malaysia Plan Mid-Term Review when seconding the Prime Minister’s motion, Najib is trying to have a second bite of the cherry by giving a Ministerial statement on the Mid-Term Review, through a gross abuse of the parliamentary standing orders.

It sets a most dangerous precedent that the government front-benchers can abuse the standing orders at their whim and fancy. Continue reading “Walkout by some 80 PR MPs”