DAP MP for Ipoh Barat M Kulasegaran was unsuccessful in his attempt this morning to move Parliament for an emergency debate on the police killing of five Indians in a shoot-out in Klang on November 8 for being suspected gang members.
Deputy Speaker Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaffar conceded that Kula’s motion met two of the three criteria of being definite and of public importance, but it was not “urgent” as police investigations were “ongoing”.
I stood up to support the protests by Kula and DAP MP for Teluk Intan, M. Manogaran for rejecting a debate on the motion and argued that “investigations under way” should not be used as an excuse to disallow a parliamentary debate as this will be against the doctrine of separation of powers.
“Ongoing police investigations” is an executive action, but under the doctrine of the separation of powers, it is the executive that must be answerable to Parliament and not Parliament having to kow-tow to the Executive.
The Malaysian public are concerned about police killing of people in police shoot-outs and this is a matter which should be debated in Parliament with the executive giving a full and satisfactory accounting as at stake are public confidence in the police as well as in Parliament. Continue reading “Doctrine of separation of powers – Kula’s emergency motion on police killing of five Indians should have been allowed”