THE Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra) issue can become a political issue if a minister declines to respond in Parliament, Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun said.

“This is because the speaker has no power to force the minister to respond,” he said in Parliament today.

Citing several examples, Azhar said that even UK parliamentary convention notes that ministers have the right to refuse to answer questions.

“The speaker’s responsibility is limited to compliance with the rules (set out in the Standing Orders),” Azhar told MPs.

“The responsibility rests solely with MPs who asked the question and the minister to answer. The speaker has no power and responsibility in this area.

“However, when minister refuses to answer a question, this itself becomes a political issue and is debated in the political arena, but the speaker should not be dragged into this.

“That is my ruling,” Azhar said in response to opposition MPs who wanted him to give a ruling after Minister of National Unity Halimah Mohamed Sadique (Kota Tinggi-BN) refused to answer questions about Mitra yesterday.

Halimah said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had advised her against briefing lawmakers about the issue in Parliament because it was still under investigation.

However, opposition MPs disagreed.

“This is a poor precedent. If Halimah is allowed to refuse to answer, so too can other ministers. Mitra should stand for Malaysian Indian Tragedy, not transformation,” said RSN Rayer (Jelutong-PH), who was one of the MPs pressing Halimah for answers yesterday.

Support for Rayer came from opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim (Port Dickson-PH), Lim Guan Eng (Bagan-PH), M. Kulasegaran (Ipoh Barat-PH), Sim Tze Tzin (Bayan Baru-PH), Khalid Samad (Shah Alam-PH) and Khasturi Patto (Batu Kawan-PH).

To end the argument, Azhar asked Rayer to re-submit a motion to debate the Mitra issue in Parliament.

“Your earlier motion was submitted on the last day of the last parliamentary session and as such it could not be carried over to this session. Submit a fresh motion to debate Mitra,” Azhar said, before closing the matter.

As if to emphasise the point, Rural and Regional Minister Mahadzir Khalid (Padang Terap-BN) said: “I have no time to answer today. So, can everyone agree that I don’t answer?”

In October, the MACC arrested 16 company directors over alleged misappropriation of funds from Mitra.

According to sources, the suspects – ages 24 to 68 – were detained in the Klang Valley for allegedly embezzling tens of millions of ringgit from the fund.

A source said one of the directors was believed to have applied for an allocation from an agency under the National Unity Ministry, from which he later shared the funds with other individuals. – November 18, 2021.