GOVERNMENT business takes precedence over private members’ bills in Parliament, said Azhar Azizan Harun.

The Dewan Rakyat speaker said Rule 15 of Parliament’s standing orders states that government business is prioritised above all other matters. 

“As such, all the government bills and motions were put ahead in the previous Parliament sittings that ran from July 13-August 27,” Azhar said in a letter dated September 29.

Azhar was responding to 11-term Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who requested the speaker prioritise a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin in Parliament.

In a letter dated September 25, Tengku Razaleigh had said that Parliament should allow the motion so that Muhyiddin’s support as prime minister is legitimised by MPs in accordance with the federal constitution.

The veteran politician also said that Parliament had placed previous no-confidence motions at the end of the order paper, thus stopping Parliament from debating the issue before sittings ended.

It is the normal practice in Malaysia for the government of the day to schedule Parliament sittings in such a way that private members’ motions rarely make it the floor. The only time an opposition motion was presented was when Abdul Hadi Awang (Marang-PAS) tabled the Amendments to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 (RUU 355) bill in 2017.

“Private members’ bills, such as Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s (Langkawi-Ind) no-confidence motion and confidence motions by Nik Muhammad Zawawi (Pasir Puteh-PAS), Mohd Fasiah Mohd Fakeh (Sabak Bernam-Bersatu) and Shahidan Kassim (Arau-BN), were listed according to the time that the motions were received.” 

Azhar said other motions came ahead of Dr Mahathir’s no-confidence proposal.

“As it is, the previous Parliament sittings’ schedule was set by the previous speaker (Mohamad Ariff Yusof).

“As such, claims that Muhyiddin had prevented the no-confidence motion from being debated in Parliament by placing it at the end of the order paper is untrue,” said Azhar.

Azhar, who replaced Ariff after Perikatan Nasional came to power, declined to give any confirmation that a no-confidence motion against Muhyiddin will be prioritised in the next Parliament sitting.

“My duties are tied to the existing standing orders, And, any MP can give notice to Parliament to table a bill and it will be considered according to the regulations. 

“I am not against the Dewan Rakyat debating any private members’ bills after all government business is completed in Parliament.”

Azhar suggested Tengku Razaleigh discuss with de facto Law Minister Takiyuddin Hassan (Kota Baru-PAS) if he wanted to prioritise a private members’ bill.

Muhyiddin’s position as prime minister has come under pressure following Umno’s unhappiness with the PN government. 

Tengku Razaleigh, who is also Umno adviser, had met the king yesterday after opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim told reporters that he had presented documents to the king to show he had more support than Muhyiddin among MPs. – October 14, 2020.