No motion filed to debate floods, says speaker amid criticism

Raevathi Supramaniam Raevathi Supramaniam Updated 4 years ago · Published on 22 Dec 2021 8:14PM · 4 Comments

Azhar Azizan Harun says for matters to be debated in the Dewan Rakyat, a motion must be filed and a written notice must be given to him beforehand. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, December 22, 2021.

NO motion was filed to debate the devastating Klang Valley floods over the weekend and, therefore, the Dewan Rakyat could not discuss the matter, Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun said today. 

Azhar’s statement comes after he was accused of denying MPs the chance to debate the floods and their catastrophic impact in the Klang Valley on Monday. 

“Firstly, I would like to deny that I rejected a motion to debate the floods. There was not a single motion that was filed by any members of Parliament to debate the matter,” he said in a statement. 

“These accusations against me are political in nature and I do not want to be involved in the political arena, which has no end.”  

On Monday, Azhar said the Dewan Rakyat could not discuss the Klang Valley floods because there was only one item on the agenda, which was the debate on the amendments to the Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease Act.

He said for matters to be debated, a motion must be filed and a written notice must be given to him beforehand. 

“For matters that require urgency, a motion must be brought under Standing Order 18(1) a day earlier,” he said.  

“For matters regarding the floods, the MPs could have given me a notice via WhatsApp the day before (December 20) while a written notice could be given on the morning of December 20. However, no one did so.”

Azhar said he was not trying to limit the rights of MPs to debate important matters but the Dewan Rakyat cannot be turned into a coffee shop and matters must be debated with proper procedure. 

“There is no Parliament in the Commonwealth that will allow issues picked out of the air to be debated without following the standing orders,” he said. 

On Monday, Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng, Ahmad Maslan (Pontian-Barisan Nasional) and Mohamad Sabu (Kota Raja-Pakatan Harapan) called for MPs to debate the floods but was denied by Azhar. 

Yesterday, Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan said Azhar’s actions were “a very insensitive, unparliamentary act and a serious neglect of responsibility”.

The speaker’s decision has also spawned a debate on social media about his role and Parliament and why lawmakers were denied the chance to debate the floods. – December 22, 2021.

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Comments

  • Art.. Use you Allah's given brain for the good of humanity. Otherwise Just shut up and get lost.

    Posted 4 years ago by DENGKI KE? · Reply

  • The law of the land or the call of God given conscience of man at times of crisis..which is higher and noble? Which has eternal value? Your call!!!

    Posted 4 years ago by Mat Kilau · Reply

  • A new degree of stupid

    Posted 4 years ago by The Rover · Reply

  • The Speaker refers to Parliaments in commonwealth countries that do not pick and choose matters to debate at will without following standing orders (SO). If he had read further on parliamentary practices, he would have read that matters of public importance (MPI), as the term is used in other commonwealth countries, have proceeded after standing orders are suspended. Our SO90 allows for suspension of standing orders (SO). SOs are meant to facilitate not inhibit functions of Parliament. The Speaker, above all people, should facilitate, if not guide, MPs so that the MPI could be put to the House.

    Posted 4 years ago by Hafiz Hassan · Reply