KUALA LUMPUR – Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah will not participate in the Budget 2021 debate in the Dewan Rakyat over questions surrounding the federal government's legitimacy.
The Gua Musang MP’s refusal to debate the matter comes amid his row with Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun over the latter's rejection of his request for a no-confidence vote against the prime minister.
"As the legitimacy of the government has not been decided yet, (I) am bound by my conscience on the oath I have taken (as a parliamentarian) and, therefore, cannot participate in the debate on the budget," said Tengku Razaleigh, popularly known as Ku Li.
He said this in a letter titled "Motion of No-Confidence" addressed to Azhar Azizan, also known as Art Harun, on November 19.
Tengku Razaleigh said debating the budget before first establishing the legitimacy of the prime minister and his cabinet would compromise the federal constitution and rule of law.
He decried possible "political corruption" among those maintaining power, saying it goes against the constitution.
"It is my considered view that 'political corruption', by its very nature, can be described as the 'worm in the bud' that will destroy our constitutional system of democracy from within," he said.
"The opinion in the public domain is that political corruption and money are destroying the soul of our national and our political system."
In a letter dated September 29, Tengku Razaleigh had sought a fresh motion of no-confidence against Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
However, Azhar responded by saying the motion cannot be expedited if it does not come from a minister.
The speaker also denied that Muhyiddin has refused to allow for the motion to be tabled, as alleged by Tengku Razaleigh, adding that other government matters should be given priority under the Dewan Rakyat's Standing Orders.
Azhar had also told Tengku Razaleigh that he may make a request with the minister in charge of law to put the no-confidence motion to Parliament.
Despite Azhar's response, Tengku Razaleigh said the minister had no role in determining whether the vote can be tabled.
"To suggest that such an important issue is subject to the agreement of the minister of law is unconstitutional and a serious breach of the autonomy and independence of the Dewan Rakyat from any form of control by the executive," Tengku Razaleigh said. – The Vibes, November 22, 2020
