The Dewan Rakyat debated supplementary bills this week. Today we debated on the bills on a few agencies in PM’s Department. When it was my turn to speak, I was allowed to speak for about five minutes only.
I reiterated my dissatisfaction over Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code not being enforced. I was interrupted by Speaker Lim Si Cheng when I said that. He said that since I have mentioned it in last two days, I should not repeat.
I then quickly switched to the suggestion of shifting the law drafting section in the AG’s Chamber to the Parliament so that our Parliament can be the institution of law-making. I suggested that there should be more select committees to study and review laws so that MPs can play their role as law maker instead of being rubber stamps of the AG’s Chamber.
I praised Wong Nai Chee, MCA MP for Kota Melaka, for backing a Media Freedom Caucus and urged Parliament to look into his suggestion. I would even support him as Chairman of the proposed caucus.
I asked the government why it’s afraid to allow live broadcast of parliamentary proceedings. The MP of Jerai said that when the people see the way DAP MPs, especially the Opposition Leader, behave in Parliament, he’s afraid that they would not vote for us in next general election. We then shouted back that we are not afraid of this. The Speaker then said that when the people see the way the Jerai MP behave, they will be afraid of him too. For your information, the Jerai MP is one of the naughtiest MPs in the Dewan Rakyat. He was the one who shouted at Lim Kit Siang in Dewan Rakyat that if we don’t agree with Islamic State, we should get out of Malaysia.
I then talked about having more facilities for MPs, especially small meeting rooms for small group discussions and meetings. I also said there should be some other facilities. Cappuccino makers and private butler services would be nice, but I didn’t dare bring it up. 🙂
I took the chance to question the statement made by the Election Commission Chairman that the EC doesn’t have power to investigate and charge people who practice money politics. I cited examples of money politics practiced by BN in Machap buy-election and asked what the EC was doing about it. At this point, the Speaker tried to stop me and said my time was up.
When Nazri replied the MPs’ speeches in the afternoon, he said the RTM1 propoganda show “Parlimen Hari Ini” was sufficient to report on the news and debate in the Parliament. He said the Parliament sitting was boring, no one interested to watch, but he agreed that there should be extended coverage of Parliament sitting, particularly the oral question and answer time every morning.
He said he had proposed the idea of live telecast of Parliament sitting to the cabinet, but the PM did not agree, and speakers of Parliament also didn’t agree with the idea. When he said this, he allowed PAS MP from Pasir Mas, Chong Eng and I to intervene too. I said, since BN already controlled 92% of the seats in the Parliament, what are they afraid? I said that it could only make MPs to be more well-behaved, more diligent in doing research and preparing their debates and it was good for the image of MPs and Parliament too.
I said that when Parlimen Hari Ini is broadcast at 11.30pm every night, it normally only showed about 15 mins of the debate in Parliament and the presenter would then interview BN naughty boys in the rest of the programme. The show also did not show many interesting exchanges and debate. I then challenged Parlimen Hari Ini to broadcast our exchanges live.
Nazri said the government has no plan to shift the drafting section of AG’s Chamber to the Parliament yet. I then reminded him that he, as the minister in charge of Parliament affairs, should revive the role and position of Parliament as an institution of law-making, and he should be the minister of law with power, and not be cowed by little Napoleons in the AG’s Chamber.
He smiled.
He then said that he’ll arrange for AG’s Chamber officers to brief select committee members on ‘further amendment’ that they are going to make in Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code. He said he will sit in the meeting too, so that he will know what make them hold back the enforcement of the two amendment acts. His reply shows that he is really not the Minister of Law and he was in the dark over why AG’s Chamber held back the enforcement of 90% of the amendment in Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code.