Malaysiakini
Nov 29, 2011
Pakatan Rakyat MPs walked out of the Dewan Rakyat during the debate on the Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011 and will not participate in voting on the Bill.
The MPs said that they were disgusted that the speaker had only allowed three Pakatan Rakyat MPs – one from each party – to debate what they consider to be a very important piece of legislation.
The three who were allowed to speak were Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim (Permatang Pauh-PKR), Lim Guan Eng (Bagan-DAP) and Abdul Hadi Awang (Marang-PAS).
Upon Abdul Hadi’s concluding his debate, Pakatan MPs walked out just as Ibrahim Ali (Pasir Mas-Independent) was beginning his speech.
Ibrahim was followed by P Kamalanathan (BN-Hulu Selangor), after which Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz addressed the House.
Speaking to reporters later, Shah Alam MP Abdul Khalid Samad decried the unfair treatment and said Pakatan MPs were unlikely to stay back and vote.
Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching also said the speaker’s decision to allow only three Pakatan representatives to speak was unfair.
“For example, during the debate on the Supply Bill 2012 at the Education Ministry committee stage, 42 MPs spoke. About half of them were from Pakatan,” she told Malaysiakini.
Abdul Khalid said that there was “no point” for their presence in the House as they have presented their views, but it does not appear that their call would be heeded to withdraw the Bill.
“The government has done whatever they think they should do, in terms of amendments, but everything is still the same,” he said.
“Their attitude is very slipshod… (We are walking out and boycotting voting) as it is all just window dressing.”
Asked if Pakatan will participate in the debate in the committee stage reading of the Bill, Teo said that they are still deciding on this.
No know meh, dis rule of allowing 3 PR MPs – 1 fr each party – 2 debate conforms 2 d best practice of d BEST DEMONCRAZY in d world
The Speaker of the House decided to allow only three MPs from the opposition to speak shows that the government is not willing to allow the people to know why the bill is bad. That action alone proves that BN does not believe in democracy and the right of the people to understand the issue involved.
The number of persons from BN voting for the bill is assured, no matter how stupid the bill has been written. But the Speaker chose to rush through the bill within the day as if it was to respond to emergency. Either the government chose to exhibit its right to bully, or it has no answer to all the ridiculous conditions included in the bill. Najib said that the bill is revolutionary; we know now he meant the way the bill would be passed is revolutionary.
Speedy Gonzales indeed http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnTsy7_gOdI
Why the rush to pass the dubious Bill
Because Umno has something to hide
They are going to play dirtier still
The opposition is in for a rough ride
PR must make People Power smarter
Especially those in the rural regions
Show BN that People Power is the master
By voting BN out this coming General Elections
God help us and those that will eventually have to pay for Najib and UMNO/BN selfishness..
Democracy under Najib is dead!
The walk out is good.
PR have done their job ..speaking to the last minute.
All left to be done is to speak with our votes…at 13th GE.
Najib will do another survey..and will find the Bill will not get him more votes.
Then what??
BN is very predictable. I just wish the rural folks will finally wake up to the reality that their own skin coloured, same religion types are screwing with the entire Malaysia which includes them. BN is predictable because they are full of smart people who are not moved by altruisms and higher moral ideals, but by greed and lust. And therefore the Bill has to pass. It has to pass because whatever the PSC finds, it won’t be what Bersih 2.0 or Pakatan will like. Even if it did say something that makes wonderful sense, it won’t be enacted, implemented or enforced into anything meaningfully called electoral reform. And that is when Bersih 3.0 will rise. It has to pass because the next general elections will be dirty. Dirtiest. Ever. And BN knows that there will be massive protests. This is a forewarning to disobedient civilians. March at your own risk. We are a government that’s about to go bankrupt. Might as well make RM20,000 out of each illegal protestors. Better you go down in bankruptcy rather than us going down in a flame of infamy.
But I wonder if anything will change. We had the Police Act before. There’s jail sentence under that Act. But did people fear? Refuse to take the risk? And I wonder why. That’s because this coward of a government had never had the guts to take the Police Act provision to court before. And why would they, when there is a 50-50 chance that they will be shot down as unconstitutional? I think they know too that the Peaceful Assemblies Act 2011 will be shot down as unconstitutional. But it’s new, and untested, and they are banking on the fact that the unknown will scare the disobedient civilians into silence.
But will we be fooled into silence? Apparently, the answer is no. In fact, the passing of the bill has simply made Malaysians even angrier. We didn’t know until this afternoon that we could be angrier than what we already are with BN. We thought we’ve had up to “here” with BN, but apparently, “here” is a constantly up-shifting pressure gauge. Which pressure will need releasing at some point in time.
We disobedient civilians will do the right thing by channelling our anger into outreach, pre-election campaign – in our offices, in our fields, forests and plantations, in our markets, shops and homes. And as a final act of defiance, we will vote for Pakatan because these are serious people, and without vested interest, serious about fixing Malaysia, starting with abolishing or significantly amending the Peaceful Assemblies Act 2011.
Would a Gomen led by leaders with confidence force such a situation? NO! It is sign of desperation. It is a sign they cannot hold the debate! It is a sign of a bankrupt Gomen! maybe it is a good omen. let the people know and decide for themselves on the coming GE!
A Bill of such importance must be debated thoroughly for the good of the country. Not allowing our MPs to bring out their views is indeed giving the government a very bad image. Malaysia must be seen moving forward and for this to happen ideas from all must be heard and debated. We are no more living in cocoons. As always, all must be treated fairly.
The Bill protects the ruling regime, not the rakyat.
The Bill is making Police to do all the dirty jobs…outwardly..while they keep planning secretly how to steal as much as they can.
Only with hundreds of billions …hundreds of phantom votes…do they know how to win elections.
No wonder….Melaka CM….Rustam…is so confident…UMNO b will rule forever.
Only an idiot talk like that.’
If he is a true Muslim…he should know…nothing is permanent.
But why walk out with hands in the air and without a fight.
So easy for Umno GOM to passed bill even with less than 2/3 majority.
How come Umno always win when things get down and dirty.
The Dewan Rakyat today passed the controversial Peaceful Assembly Bill, which bars street protests, with only six adjustments to the original proposal, and after a walkout by the opposition as well as a protest march led by lawyers.
Those 5 frogs from PR which joined Bn also voted for the above bill. So you now know why they left PR in the first place
You still call him Speaker of the House?
Nope! I would call him, sucker! One of the damn sucker from the bunch of suckers belongs to BN/UMNO…