In Parliament, when might is right and sledgehammers rule the day

NEWS ANALYSIS BY THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER
November 14, 2013

Parliament, the place for civilised debates and arguments, turned into an arena to put a government critic in place. Using their parliamentary majority, the Barisan Nasional lawmakers approved a motion to suspend Padang Serai MP N. Surendran for six months.

His crime? Ostensibly insulting Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia yesterday over an emergency motion Surendran tabled to discuss the demolition of a century-old Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur.

While the Speaker had rejected the first-term MP’s emergency motion, his BN colleagues’ motion to suspend Surendran was accepted amid an uproar in parliament which led to a voting boycott.

That did not stop the BN lawmakers from voting to suspend Surendran for six months.

The thing is, the BN and the Speaker can use parliament proceedings as a shield to protect the government and its actions but Malaysians are more savvy and intelligent than many of these YBs.

They know when a sledgehammer is being used and when the school yard bullies are at work.

The Pakatan Rakyat MPs argued on technicalities, claiming that the motion was illegal due to the short notice, and that it did not involve public interest and instead reflected a conflict of interest as it involved Pandikar.

Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Gelang Patah) pointed out that the motion did not fulfil the one-day notice criteria stated in the Standing Order.

“The motion was distributed yesterday evening and you want to debate this now? Such motion should be referred to the Rights and Privileges committee. Parliament is being made a laughing stock,” he charged.

Azmin Ali (PKR-Gombak) said the Speaker’s decision in fast tracking the motion showed that it was clearly personal.

Is this what the Parliament is for then? To settle personal scores or to discuss and debate issues of interest to Malaysians? Or is it just a rubber-stamp for the government of the day?

Surendran is the first MP to be ejected and suspended from Parliament since the May 5 general elections, but he probably won’t be the last.

The question is, can the majority in parliament stop the bullying and instead refer errant or recalcitrant lawmakers to the appropriate committee instead of becoming judge, jury and executioner.

That has no place in a parliamentary democracy.

Unless we want to perpetuate the idea that Malaysia is a joke, from using legal means to restrict words used in prayer to suspending lawmakers for personal reasons. – November 14, 2013