KUALA LUMPUR: A routine question and answer session in the Dewan Rakyat took an unexpected turn on Thursday (Nov 5) when opposition lawmakers raised a fuss over the absence of the Health Minister and his deputy.
The absence of Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad and his deputy, Datuk Hanifah Hajar Taib, came to light after Deputy Speaker Alice Lau asked Zahir Hassan (PH-Wangsa Maju) to pose his question to the Health Ministry, as listed in the Order Paper.
“For question number three, the Minister and Deputy Minister are not in the House,” she said before asking Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan (PN-Tasek Gelugor) to proceed with the next question.
Zahir then asked whether he could pose his question once either the Minister or Deputy Minister entered the House, but Lau denied his request.
The situation then prompted reactions from opposition MPs, when Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin (PN-Masjid Tanah) stood up and said such an incident had never happened before.
“What is happening with the Madani government? The Minister and Deputy Minister are not in the House, showing disrespect to the House and to their colleagues who had prepared to ask questions,” she said.
Wan Saiful then requested that their absence be officially recorded.
“We must record that the Minister and Deputy Minister are absent from the House today,” he said.
Lau, however, asked Wan Saiful to proceed with his question to Deputy Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Sim Tze Tzin.
