Public banned from Parliament on Monday – ridiculous & outrageous!

Ridiculous! Outrageous!

This is my immediate reaction to news report of a directive by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz banning members of the public from Parliament on Monday purportedly to thwart a demonstration to be organised by the Opposition over the Standing Order 18 motion by Parliamentary Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Wan Azizah on no confidence in the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

How can the public be banned from Parliament when the public gallery is an integral part of parliamentary process to ensure that it remains open, accountable, transparent and democratic?

If Parliament is to conduct its proceedings in “closed session”, there must be strong security justification – and not just on the pretext of a rumour of an Opposition demonstration in Parliament building on Monday.

For the record, this is the first time that I have heard of such a rumour!

Even if Parliament is to take extraordinary security measures in the parliamentary precints, it must be decided by Parliament itself and not by the Executive – unless Parliament is nothing more than a mini government department. Continue reading “Public banned from Parliament on Monday – ridiculous & outrageous!”

Congrats Datuk Seri Azizah – well-deserved!

Just came from the investiture ceremony at Dewan Sri Pinang by the Penang Governor Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas on his 70th birthday celebrations.

This was the first investiture ceremony that I had attended.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) President Datin Seri Wan Azizah binti Wan Ismail has become a “Datuk Seri” – as she has been conferred Darjah Panglima Pangkuan Negeri (DPPN), the second highest honour in Penang.

It was ten years ago that Azizah started on the journey that catapulted her to become a political leader in her own right.

The six years that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was in prison saw Azizah transformed from a self-effacing housewife giving quiet support to her husband and taking care of her kids into a political fighter through a tumultuous decade of Malaysian politics.

Azizah, who is now the Parliamentary Opposition Leader, deserves all the accolades and the honours conferred on her today, making her the new “Datuk Seri”.