Shafie Apdal not fit to be Cabinet Minister and Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Chairman if he does not know that an amendment to motion of thanks for royal address is customary parliamentary practice and not an assault on the institution of monarchy
Mingguan Malaysia on Sunday, 11th April 2010 carried the following report under the headline “Kit Siang wajar di kenankan tindakan”:
“HULU SELANGOR 10 April – Ahli Parlimen Ipoh Timur, Lim Kit Siang wajar dikenakan tindakan atas perbuatannya yang disifatkan sebagai mengganggu-gugat institusi diraja apabila cuba meminda titah ucapan Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin di Dewan Rakyat, 1 April lepas.
“Naib Presiden UMNO, Datuk Seri Mohd. Shafie Apdal berkata, langkah itu perlu kerana perbuatan Penasihat DAP tersebut dianggap melampau dan keterlaluan.
“Beliau mengakui sebagai seorang ahli Parlimen, Kit Siang berhak serta bebas untuk bercakap tetapi ia tidak harus sehingga ke tahap tidak menghormati institusi tertinggi di negara ini.
”’Perbuatan ini tidak sesuai untuk seseorang yang kononnya bergelar Yang Berhormat. Jika di United Kingdom mereka boleh dianggap cuba meminda ucapan Ratu.”’Saya sebenarnya bimbang dengan trend yang dibawa oleh pihak pembangkang ini dan bagi saya ia harus segera dibendung bagi mengelakkan kejadian berulang,” kata Mohd. Shafie yang juga merupakan Pengerusi Persatuan Parlimen Komanwel.
“Beliau berkata demikian kepada pemberita selepas menyampaikan dividen dan melancarkan tahun produktiviti RISDA kepada para peserta agensi itu di Hulu Bernam dekat sini hari ini.”
This is a most irresponsible and despicable politics by a top Umno leader and senior Cabinet Minister as well as current Chairman of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).
In the first place, I did not try to amend the Royal Address. What I moved was an amendment to the motion of thanks for the royal address.
Shafie is not fit to be Cabinet Minister and Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Chairman if he does not know that an amendment to the motion of thanks for royal address is customary parliamentary practice and not an assault on the institution of monarchy.
For the information of the CPA Chairman, motion of thanks for the royal address or its equivalent are regularly amended in established Commonwealth Parliaments, for the Royal Address is not the monarch’s personal address but the policy speech of the government-of-the-day setting out its programme for the year.
Any amendment to a motion of thanks is not an attack on the monarch or head of state but an opportunity to table new policies, programmes or perspectives that should have been included in the government’s policy speech.
In Lok Sabha in India, hundreds of amendments are moved every year to the Motion of Thanks for the President’s Address. For instance, for the year 1993, there were 932 amendments to the motion of thanks for the President’s Address.
Similarly, such amendments are regularly made to motions of thanks in Commonwealth Parliaments, whether House of Commons in United Kingdom or the Parliaments of Australia, New Zealand or Canada.
Even in Malaysia, I had occasion to move an amendment to the Motion of Thanks for the Royal Address in the Parliament meeting of October 1982, although it was rejected at the voting stage.
But is Shafie suggesting that the previous Prime Ministers, Umno Ministers and Parliament Speakers were traitors to the country and the Malay Rulers in attacking the institution of monarchy in allowing amendments to be moved in Parliament to motion of thanks in the past?
I do not think Shafie is so ignorant of parliamentary practices, procedures, convents and traditions, which makes his attempt to twist and distort my amendment to the motion of thanks in the current meeting of Parliament even more heinous and unforgivable.
He knows that my amendment to the motion of thanks constituted no attack whatsoever on the institution of Malay Rulers but he could be so without scruples, unprincipled and opportunistic as to distort the issue to mislead rural Malays to make them believe that I am anti-Malay and anti-Malay Rulers – all just to secure Malay votes in the forthcoming Hulu Selangor by-election.
This shows the desperate extremes UMNO leaders are prepared to resort to for political advantage for themselves and or Umno, which is facing a crisis of relevance and survival.
Whatever the reason, there can be no justification for the irresponsible and despicable politics practised by Shafie who should have the decency and honesty to admit that he was wrong in resorting to racist politics and distorting customary parliamentary practices in Malaysia and Commonwealth countries as an attack on the institution of Malay Rulers.
Shafie should apologise for his transgressions.
[Speech (2) on the first 2010 Supplementary estimates in Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday April 13, 2010]
The curious thing to me is why did Shafie pick this particular point and time to attack you? Yes, the tactic is a tried and true UMNO twisting the facts way of attacking. But why now and this point?
Even if such a motion is not common, its nothing particular worth worrying about because the Speaker will find an excuse not to allow it. Why did he find the need to step and stick it to Sdr. Lim?
Its clear, DAP and PR is gaining grounds in Sabah is the root of this. The fact they feel the need to take out the knives mean that its bothering them. The issues to be raised appear to gaining momentum. This is another badge of honor for Sdr. Lim.
Score 1 for the old guy..
Jz a batu api trying to insult the intelligence of people above him.
HP6 minister not fit to be Cabinet Minister and Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Chairman.
He is young, inexperience, and not so smart. In Singapore he is not even employable. He was given the post just to make up the number as his home-state is considered a fixed-deposit. He is only a messenger boy for UMNO.
Vote for PR and kick out BN/UMNO
Don’t be too harsh on him.
He’s just one of the very many BN Ministers who only tokkok and koktok. Haven’t you not noticed this trend of late? Must be the weather frying up their pea-brains.
Like I said in my Tweet,Apdal and his cronies live in luxury in Semporna,Tawau whereas some poor kampong folks could not even pay for their kindred’s funeral. It shows how arrogant and stupid he is.
Their famous…telling half truths and twisted tongues are the famous ways they can keep fooling Malaysians.
But Lim Kit Siang is not one to be fooled by any Minister..including Najib.
Talk too much…LKS will tear him into pieces at Parliament..like he did to Khairy…now so quiet.
uncle monsterball,
Hero worship Kit ?
YB LKS,
The facts you provided in this post are excellent.
But Shafie (& umno) are not interested in facts. They are only interested in turning everything you, or the PR does into some kind of race/religion issue.
They know very well that what is being done here has absolutely nothing to do with ‘assaulting the monarch’ or whatever race/religion issue they’re trying to cook up, BUT…. there is no other way they can get support. This low blow is their only solution to dwindling support.
All readers please forward this post to the people who depend on mainstream media. Because the only thing they read everyday when they flip through their newspapers are “DAP anti-islam”, “Anwar penkhianat bangsa”, “LKS cabar Raja Melayu”, “LGE anti-Melayu” etc etc…
None are true but if the only source of information you have are the newspapers & you’re fed these kind of incitement on a daily basis… umno might successfully manipulate a number of people.
I don’t know for sure he is fit to be Cabinet Minister or Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Chairman. One thing I do notice, his hairdo and suit have certainly become more stylish and expensive. And his face has become less rough and bumpy perhaps he too has done a Toyo job on it.
He looks more like an illegal immigrant from Indonesia of Philippines.
Chengho worships and balls carrying Najib.
I do not worship or balls carrying LKS.
I respect and admire LKS’s guts and sacrifices for the country and people..all these 35 years..going to jail for Malaysians.
The day chengho knows the differences..is the day…we can say…chengho soul is free from the devils.
Millions are freed. When will chengho ever learn.. real truths.
Tong Sampah Minister.
Almost all are Tong Sampah ministers….talk cock…very clever.
Produce results for the benefits of Malaysians…and country…as the said minister in charge..show me one…talk less and do more for Malaysians?
We have been fooled by UMNO crooks far too long.
It’s up to young Malaysians qualified to vote….to take matters seriously and decide their futures by casting votes…and be less selfish…more for the country and people.
If all do that…surely change of government is a must.
Why depend on UMNO BARU and Najib…like there is no tomorrow…..without UMNO?
Only fools will depend on any political party and not vote them in to work for us…and vote them out…if they are no good..be it PR or UMNO…same attitudes by voters.
Only then..can voters say their votes are most powerful….cannot be bought.
If can be bought…it is the greatest sin that voter have performed…selling the vote..for personal benefits..making millions Malaysians suffer.
The worst kind are elected politicians…sold their souls like frogs and jump camp..as seen in Perak….which Najib is so proud …his buying formula is working there.