SHAH ALAM – PKR secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail today took a dig at top opposition leaders for their apparent cowardice to face Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Parliament.
This is despite their vocal criticism of the Pakatan Harapan chairman and his unity government outside of the august House.
He said this in reference to the Prime Minister’s Question-and-Answer (PMQ) session introduced in the current Dewan Rakyat sitting, which allocates 30 minutes every Tuesday for MPs to direct any questions to Anwar.
Saifuddin noted that in spite of the introduction of PMQ, none of the top three leaders in Perikatan Nasional – coalition chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang, and opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin – had ever directed questions at the prime minister.
“Parliament is a place for a check and balance and to monitor government policies, by way of debates,” he said during PKR’s special congress here today.
“The prime minister stands in his place for 30 minutes responding to any question. I have been observing, in the weeks since (PMQ was introduced), the opposition leader has not made an appearance, Pagoh (Muhyiddin) is nowhere to be seen, and we cannot even see Marang’s (Hadi) shadow.
“Outside, you act like heroes defending race and religion. But when it comes to debates in Parliament, you are afraid to face and fight like anak jantan (real men).”
Previously, social media users had claimed to notice the absence of top PN leaders whenever Anwar took the floor in Parliament during PMQ.
Others have noted that unlike Anwar during his time as opposition leader, PN bigwigs do not dare question or interrupt the PKR president whenever he speaks in the lower House.
Hadi arrogant for going against royal decrees
On a separate matter, Saifuddin did not mince his words when he lambasted Hadi for his arrogance when he, on several occasions, blatantly acted against a number of decrees issued by the Malay rulers in recent months.
He pointed out how the PAS leader had ignored the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s call for the current administration to remain until the end of the term, when he stated the opposition’s intention to topple the unity government.
“Isn’t this as though you don’t accept the Agong’s advice? (You) disregard His Majesty’s view as not final. This is arrogance.”
Saifuddin also said Hadi had turned a deaf ear to a ban by the Terengganu religious authorities on politicians from preaching in mosques and surau, after he delivered a Friday prayer sermon at Masjid Rusila in his constituency.
“Without feeling any guilt, he said he will continue with his speeches and ceramah in mosques. He argued that this is because Islam states you cannot separate politics from religion.
“No one denies this. But Islam demands us to play politics based on religious teachings, not to politicise religion.”
Meanwhile, Saifuddin expressed regret that PAS under Hadi’s stewardship appears to promote hate, differing significantly from when it was under past leaders such as Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat and Datuk Fadzil Noor.
“Today, we face a line-up of PAS leaders who (lack) political manners, to the point they are not willing to even admit any of the good that the government has done.” – The Vibes, March 18, 2023
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