IT will be the end of democracy in Malaysia if elected representatives are not allowed to speak in Parliament, said Dr Mahathir Mohamad today after its shortest sitting ever.
“Even if the meeting was for a full day, it would not be a problem,” said the 94-year-old Bersatu chairman and former prime minister at a press conference at the Perdana Leadership Foundation in Putrajaya today.
If people are allowed to work, dine and shop under the conditional movement control order (CMCO), surely it must be safe for MPs to sit and debate, he added.
“Even the Sabah legislative assembly met for three days.
“But here in Kuala Lumpur it’s as if the Covid-19 virus is in the wind.
“Parliament is the place to talk (gedung cakap), but we are not allowed to talk.
“It spells the end of democracy if we cannot speak as representatives of the people,” he said at the press conference flanked by Amanah president Mohamad Sabu, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, Parti Warisan Sabah president Mohd Shafie Apdal and former Kedah menteri besar Mukhriz Mahathir.
PKR president Anwar Ibrahim was not present.
Dr Mahathir began his press conference by thanking Parliament staff for making the necessary preparations to hold the sitting today that included social distancing in the seating arrangements, temperature checks, and ensuring hygiene before MPs entered the chamber.
“We had to wash our hands twice before we could enter,” he said.
Dr Mahathir was commenting on the government’s decision to hold a one-day Parliament sitting with only the Royal Address as the sole agenda.
Parliament has been adjourned until the next sitting in July.
He said he sees no reason why a longer sitting could not be held after taking into account the excellent way parliament staff had managed today’s logistics.
Initially, the sitting today was to have heard government matters on financing of economic stimulus packages to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak, but this was removed from the agenda last week.
The government also decided that no motions, nor questions from MPs, nor the ministers’ question time, were to be heard today.
The opposition has accused Muhyiddin of avoiding any challenge to his legitimacy, after Dr Mahathir filed a motion of no-confidence against him for today’s sitting, which was accepted by the Dewan Rakyat speaker. – May 18, 2020.
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Comments
Posted 6 years ago by Shahul Hameed Abdul Wahab · Reply
Posted 6 years ago by Lucky Boy · Reply
Posted 6 years ago by Shahul Hameed Abdul Wahab · Reply
Posted 6 years ago by James Wong · Reply
"World-class governance"....by putting crooks to head GLCs
"No politicking during COVID".......unless it's us doing it
"Don't cause more instability".......but we're allowed to plot 24/7 on crossovers in state governments
"We're anti-corruption"......but any crooks related to MPs will go scot-free
Posted 6 years ago by Johan M. · Reply
Posted 6 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply