Salahuddin: Absent MPs should be punished

KUALA LUMPUR: A Cabinet member supports the idea of penalising MPs who are frequently not in Parliament. This is among the range of responses of the MPs following a temporary halt to Dewan Rakyat proceedings yesterday due to a lack of quorum.

Many of the lawmakers said they were attending meetings when the House was supposed to resume at 2.30pm after the lunch break.

PKR chief whip Datuk Johari Abdul told reporters that Pakatan Harapan lawmakers were at a meeting upstairs in one of the committee rooms in the Parliament building.

“I was briefing them and we were coming down the staircase to the Dewan when we heard the second bell. It wasn’t a boycott or done intentionally. We were having our pre-council meeting,” said Johari.

Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Sim Tze Tzin was among the Pakatan MPs at the pre-council meeting.

“We were heading back to the Dewan when we heard the second bell ring. Almost 30 MPs were present (in the hall) shortly after that,” he said.

Deputy Human Resources Min­ister Datuk Mahfuz Omar said he was away during the incident.

“I had to attend a briefing on the minimum wage, which was held outside Parliament,” he said, adding that he rushed back after the briefing.

Umno’s Rembau MP Khairy Jama­luddin said he too was away when the second bell was rung, adding: “Unfortunately, I was one of them, but we should all be more mindful.”

Some lawmakers, however, were in the MPs lounge next to the Dewan.

One of them was Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun (BN-Beaufort).

“I thought there were enough people, but I rushed in when I heard the second bell,” she said.

Paya Besar MP Mohd Shahar Abdullah said it was disappointing that the backbenchers and Pakatan Harapan lawmakers did not turn up after lunch.

“We have to remember that everyone, even those outside the country, is watching us. It is more surprising that although Tun Dr Mahathir had openly reminded them to attend, they seem to be ignoring their own leader’s advice.

“We hope they can change their attitude and follow the standing orders,” the Umno lawmaker said.

The sole minister present at that time, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Salahuddin Ayub, agreed that non-performing ministers, their deputies and other lawmakers should have their allowances cut if they often failed to attend Parliament.

However, he said this should only apply if the absence was without good reason.

For example, he said, as a minister, he was required to attend meetings away from the Parliament building.

“The media should be fair and get the MPs’ explanation on why they are absent,” he said.

He was responding to a tweet by former senior minister Tan Sri Dr Rais Yatim, who suggested two ways to avoid the lack of quorum – dock the allowances of MPs and name and shame “lazy” MPs.