‘Govt can’t order the Speaker’

Normal to meet and exchange ideas, provide feedback, says Fahmi

KUALA LUMPUR: It is normal to meet with the Speaker’s Office to exchange ideas from time to time and the Cabinet cannot order the Speaker to do anything, says Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.

“What I meant was to give feedback.

“It is nothing more than that. We cannot order the Speaker to do anything,” he told reporters during an event in Lembah Pantai yesterday.

Fahmi cited the incident involving Tasek Gelugor MP Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan in Parliament last week, where the Bersatu politician had to apologise for making baseless allegations against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Wan Saiful also apologised to His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, over his remarks.

“I believe the Opposition met with the Speaker. So, meetings with the Speaker are normal in Parliament,” said Fahmi.

However, Bersatu vice-president Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee criticised Fahmi over his latest remarks.

Kiandee said that based on parliamentary conventions and the Dewan Rakyat Standing Orders, an MP is allowed to correct, retract or maintain his statement before any action is taken against them.

He said Standing Order 43 stated that a Speaker’s decision is final and it cannot be revisited in the House, unless an MP tables a motion to revisit the decision.

“Therefore, the government’s actions on this legislative body are not just disappointing, it is also embarrassing,” Kiandee added.

On Friday, Fahmi said the Cabinet will contact the Speaker’s office over false statements made by MPs during the past two weeks’ debate on the Motion of Thanks on the Royal Address in the Dewan Rakyat

Fahmi said a series of false statements issued by MPs had confused the Dewan Rakyat before apologies were made.

His remarks received backlash from MPs who said his comments had gone against the separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches of the government.

Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh said Fahmi’s statement had given a perception that the government has a hand in running the Parliament.