KUALA LUMPUR – Perikatan Nasional (PN) lawmakers are crying foul after separate attempts to get the Dewan Rakyat to discuss Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s recent trip to Saudi Arabia were shot down.
This is in reference to Anwar’s visit last week which concluded without the prime minister being able to meet with the kingdom’s top rulers as he could not extend his stay there due to other engagements.
Raising the matter in the august house, Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal (Machang-PN) noted that his emergency motion to debate the matter, which was submitted yesterday, was rejected by Speaker Datuk Johari Abdul.
Separately, he pointed out that his query directed to Anwar for the prime minister’s question time this morning was also turned down.
“I would like to seek guidance from the chair of the House on what other channels can I go to for the Foreign Ministry to explain what actually happened in Saudi Arabia last week.”
Deputy Speaker Datuk Ramli Mohd Nor, who was presiding over the house, said that if Wan Fayhsal was dissatisfied with the decision, he could submit an appeal under Standing Order 43.
The provision states that while the speaker’s decision is final and shall not be open to appeal, exception is given if a substantive motion is moved for that purpose.
Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (Kota Baru-PN) later argued that the matter raised by Wan Fayhsal is of public importance and should hence be debated in the House.
The PAS secretary-general asked if the government has any intention of invoking Standing Order 14(1)(i) and to issue a “statement by minister” to clear the air over Anwar’s Saudi Arabia trip.
Ramli then said the order of business of the Dewan Rakyat is at the full discretion of the Speaker and the prime minister, who is the leader of the House.
In response, Takiyuddin said: “The motion (by Wan Fayhsal) has been rejected. What other channels are there available in the Dewan Rakyat? You tell us, you are the honourable man, the learned person. Please guide us.”
To this, Ramli said that as per the Westminster system, the decision of the speaker is final, and urged all lawmakers not to prolong the matter.
Two days ago, Anwar’s political secretary Ahmad Farhan Fauzi called for an end to the “intentional politicking” of the Tambun MP’s trip, urging those with “shortage of substance” and “bankruptcy of issues” to stop their polemics.
Farhan explained that Anwar had to politely decline the Saudi Arabian government’s request to extend his trip to facilitate a meeting with its top leaders due to scheduled events in Malaysia, including a breaking-of-fast ceremony with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
Anwar arrived in Saudi Arabia last week for an official three-day visit. – The Vibes, March 28, 2023
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