Amend parliamentary standing orders to allow for impeachment of prime ministers, says Wan Junaidi

PETALING JAYA: Parliamentary Standing Orders should be amended to allow for the impeachment of prime ministers, says Tan Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.

"There are no provisions under the Standing Orders to allow for the tabling of a motion of impeachment or a motion of confidence against a prime minister," the Senate president said when delivering a keynote address at a forum titled “Political Stability in Hung Parliament” in Sunway University on Tuesday (July 11).

He said that any attempts by MPs to table a motion of impeachment or no confidence would "not see the light of day" as government Bills took precedence in the august House.

Wan Junaidi, who was also former law minister, said countries like the UK had such impeachment laws and were used against then British prime minister Tony Blair in 2004.

At present, he said there had been only three motions of confidence tabled by the government in Dewan Rakyat since 1976.

Tun Hussein Onn went through a vote of confidence during an emergency parliamentary sitting in 1976.

Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi faced a confidence motion on Nov 3, 2003, after being sworn in as prime minister on Oct 31, 2003.

On Dec 19 last year, a confidence motion was tabled and passed for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's leadership in the Dewan Rakyat.

When met later, Wan Junaidi said that he plans to bring the matter up with Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Johari Abdul when they chair a joint committee on parliamentary reforms.

Apart from amendments to provide for impeachment or motion of no confidence, he said other reforms that should be considered were the tabling of the Private Member's Bill.