A DAP MP from Penang has declared an English daily’s front page story today on members of the House going MIA to be unjust.

RSN Rayer (PH-Jelutong) told the House that the report was unfair to the MPs who were still at Parliament.

“The report gave the impression as we had gone home after lunch. But we were still at Parliament. We were attending a meeting,” he told Dewan Rakyat Speaker Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof.

“Some of us were in the House until 9pm last night, debating many issues. But this is the report by The Star,” he said, holding up the newspaper.

Rayer also pointed out the fact that the newspaper was owned by Barisan Nasional component party MCA.

“Is this to seek cheap publicity? It is very unfair to the MPs. I had constituents asking me where I had gone.

Opposition backbencher Dr Ismail Mohamed Said (BN-Kuala Krau) said the bell had to be prolonged for two minutes because it was a fact that there were not enough MPs in the House after lunch yesterday to resume the sitting.

He said Rayer himself had not returned to the House at the time the secretary was taking a headcount.

The House’s Standing Orders 13 states that there must be at least 26 MPs for quorum.

Ariff said the House took note of Rayer’s complaint and asked the media to be understanding.

“There was an issue yesterday after lunch but it was not a major one. The delay was very short, just six minutes,” he said.

Some BN backbenchers had played up the high absentee rate in the Dewan Rakyat.

On Monday, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad himself said he was unhappy with the attendance record of ministers and their deputies. – July 25, 2018.