[UPDATED] Azhar to reconsider limit on question time, MP numbers

KUALA LUMPUR – After pressure from lawmakers, including Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun today said he will reconsider the decisions to shorten the Ministers’ Winding-Up speeches and limit the number of MPs in the chamber.

Currently, only 80 MPs are allowed in the House at one time, and Ministers’ Winding-Up speeches for Budget 2021 are limited to 20 minutes.

Opposition leader Anwar (PH-Port Dickson) brought up his request for Azhar to review the House’s Covid-19 standard operating procedures.

“I have a request for the minister’s reply – there should be some flexibility because some of the MPs (who ask questions) are not in the Dewan to listen. Can the 80-MP limit be raised so they can listen to the reply?”

Azhar said he will need time to look into the matter, reiterating that party whips made the decision during a meeting with him.

He told Anwar that party whips decide which of their MPs can enter the Dewan Rakyat to listen to the minister’s reply based on their comments and questions during their respective debate speeches.

However, PKR chief whip Datuk Johari Abdul (Sg Petani-PH) told Azhar that there were challenges they did not expect when they agreed to the motion to limit the number of MPs in the House, the length of time for the minister’s reply, and the length of the daily meetings.

“I speak as the chief whip. Sometimes, when the MPs speak, they are not limiting themselves to a single topic. They comment on five or six ministries. For instance, PKR has 39 MPs, they could have commented on 25 ministries.

“How do we limit them? If one MP asked about eight ministries, how do we limit them to ask only on three to four ministries?”

Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir (independent-Jerlun) then requested that the length of the daily meetings be reverted to that before the pandemic, since Dewan Rakyat sittings now end at 2pm

He said there are four ministries replying to the questions and comments made by MPs, and another seven tomorrow. Thursday has been reserved for the reply from the Finance Ministry.

He voiced concern that there will not be enough time for each ministry to reply to the issues raised during the debate last week.

“Twenty minutes for each ministry is too short. Our practice before this was to extend until midnight, even two in the morning. I request that we have enough time to debate.”

Azhar replied that the matter has already been agreed on, based on the recommendations made by Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

However, P. Prabakaran (PH-Batu) argued that opposition lawmakers did not even have the opportunity to debate Budget 2021 because of the new limitations.

He was supported by his colleague Fahmi Fadzil (PH-Lembah Pantai), who said Parliament has already invested in transparent plastic barriers designed to allow more MPs in the House.

“To limit ourselves to 80 MPs and limit the time that ministers can reply, this is a double whammy on democracy in our Parliament. As it is, not many senior members were given the opportunity to speak.

“But to not give the minister the time to reply, the functions of the Dewan Rakyat become crippled because the reality is, one of the important documents in the Dewan is the Hansard. When MPs do not reply, there will be no record in the Hansard, and that will cripple Parliament.”

Teo Nie Ching (PH-Kulai) and R.S.N. Rayer (PH-Jelutong) both backed arguments by Fahmi and Prabakaran, with Teo requesting that the length of the sitting be extended.

Law Minister Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan (PAS-Kota Baru) said even though he agrees to an extension of the sitting, there are limitations because of Covid-19 and the reasons given by Dr Noor Hisham.

Umno veteran Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim (BN-Arau) then took the floor, saying since the decision was made at a meeting of party whips, it is better to call in the said whips or party leaders for a new meet to discuss the matter.

Anwar stood up once more and argued that Dewan Rakyat meetings are not lectures.

“We are not here to hear the minister give a lecture. In Parliament, we debate. If we want to listen to the minister reading an executive summary, and then reading the full text online, we might as well stop being MPs.

“The role of Parliament is for us to debate, give our input, interject and question the minister. If not, this Parliament is not functioning. This is not the spirit of Parliament,” said the PKR president to applause by some lawmakers.

Teo backed his argument, saying members of the public have put themselves at risk by working full eight-hour days, while MPs are working four-hour days in Parliament, but taking home their full daily meeting allowance.

Former health minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (PH-Kuala Selangor) said all MPs are already required to undergo Covid-19 testing every two weeks.

“We are, to a large extent, by way of our conversation, already avoiding the three Cs (close conversation, confined spaces, crowded places). The House is also sanitised. I question why we are still being limited because this is not based on science-based medicine.

“I respect the health director-general, but we also have other virologists, epidemiologists and experts outside of the Health Ministry. Let us base our decision on scientific evidence, and I request that the speaker speak to other experts outside of the ministry.”

Azhar told off parliamentarians, asking why MPs are making this request at the last minute, just before the minister’s reply is about to begin.

“This is my complaint. We have made an agreement. All of you had three days to raise this matter with me after the last meeting (Thursday last week). You had Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I would have come to work on a Sunday evening if there was a request to see me.

“But, no one did. No one contacted me to raise this issue. Suddenly, it is raised today, just before the ministers are going to reply. The same thing happened during the tabling of the Budget. No one raised the issue until the last minute.

“Now, we have wasted 29 minutes. I will hold another meeting today.” – The Vibes, November 23, 2020