KUALA LUMPUR – Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun today dismissed appeals to refer former law minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (Kota Baru-PAS) to the Parliament’s Rights and Privileges Committee for confusing the Dewan Rakyat, saying the motion filed during the last sitting has expired.
Gobind Singh Deo (Puchong-PH) had initially asked the speaker what had happened to his motion submitted on July 28, which Azhar previously promised to answer during the special sitting then.
The motion is in reference to Takiyuddin’s statement in the lower House on July 25 that the government has revoked all emergency ordinances effective July 21.
His remark was widely criticised by the opposition after the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, on July 29, reprimanded the former law minister for disrespecting him in making the announcement without his consent.
This led to a commotion in the house that day, which forced the Dewan Rakyat to cut short and suspend the final day of the sitting scheduled for August 2, which the government later claimed to be due to a “Covid-19 outbreak”.
Responding to the issue today, Azhar said since the July sitting was cut short, he was not able to respond to the motion then despite initially agreeing to do so.
When pressed to provide an answer today, Azhar cited Section 15(5) of the Dewan Rakyat Standing Order, saying the provision does not allow for a motion to be carried forward to a subsequent meeting.
“The motion ‘mati’ with the last meeting, expired. It cannot be moved forward unless a separate notice is issued by the person who mooted the motion requesting as such,” he said in Parliament today.
Standing Order 15(5) states that a private member’s motion that has been moved but not disposed of at a meeting shall, upon due notice given by the mover for continuance thereof at a subsequent meeting, take precedence at such subsequent meeting over other private members’ motions.
His explanation was not received well by opposition members, who said the reply given by Azhar is not acceptable.
Gobind said that since Azhar had promised to address the issue in the last sitting, he must have at least had a decision prepared, and urged the speaker to make a ruling.
Azhar maintained that he did not make any decision after being notified that the sitting has been suspended.
Gobind retorted, saying: “Such an important issue and you didn’t even have a decision.”
Gobind and Mohamed Hanipa Maidin (Sepang-PH) had filed their motions to refer Takiyuddin to the Rights and Privileges Committee on July 28, but their calls for the lower house to debate the motion were rejected then. – The Vibes, September 14, 2021
