KUALA LUMPUR: The Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat is bound by Standing Order 15, which gives priority to Government Bills and not a Private Member’s Bill.
Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia said this is reflected under Standing Order 15.
Standing Order 15 (1) reads: “On every sitting day, Government business shall have precedence over Private Members’ business.”
Asked what would happen once all Government Bills or business were settled before the Parliament meeting ends on April 6, Pandikar Amin said he did not wish to speculate.
“I do not know. I am not there yet. How am I going to speculate on something that I don’t know.
“You are asking me to make a judgment before the facts of the case come before me.
“I am not a politician, I am a Speaker like a judge,” Pandikar Amin said when met at Parliament yesterday.
On Wednesday night, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the Government would not take over the Private Member’s Bill to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act or RUU355.
Najib said this was done in line with the principle of consensus in Barisan Nasional.
The Barisan chairman added that the Bill would remain a Private Member’s Bill if it was presented in the Dewan Rakyat, and it would be up to the Speaker to decide based on the Order Paper.
