Unprepared deputy minister chided for not being able to answer in Parliament

KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Ramli Mohd Nor has chided Deputy Education Minister Lim Hui Ying for not being able to provide an answer for her ministry during Question Time.

"These things should not have happened. I hope that the government and the head of the House will take note of this incident

"It will give a bad scenario towards the government," he said in the Dewan Rakyat today (March 27).

Earlier, Datuk Ahmad Marzuk Shaary (PN-Pengkalan Chepa) had stood up to ask the Education Ministry about the allocation for the Supplementary Food Programme (RMT) and the mechanism to monitor the quality of the food under the initiative.

His question was listed as number 16 in the parliamentary order paper.

However, Lim, who appeared unprepared, admitted that she was not prepared with any answers by the ministry.

"May I answer it through a written reply," she said.

However, Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee stood up and questioned why the ministry did not provide the relevant minister or deputy minister with an answer.

"This should not have happened. The questions were submitted a while back and an answer should have been provided," said Kiandee.

Lim then apologised for the situation.

Ahmad Marzuk then asked if he could ask a supplementary question.

"If she cannot answer the initial question, can she take a supplementary question from me at least," asked Ahmad Marzuk.

To this, the Deputy Speaker laughed and asked to move to the next government agenda.

At the Parliament lobby, Ahmad Marzuk expressed shock over the incident and said that such a situation had never happened before.

"As a deputy minister, she should come prepared, and not attend just to fulfil the seat quota on the other bench.

"It is a waste of public funds to pay the salary of a deputy minister who cannot carry out her duties," he said, urging the Education and Deputy Education Ministers to resign for allegedly failing their basic duties.