PRIME Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob is not obliged to answer questions in Parliament, said Deputy Dewan Rakyat Speaker Rashid Hasnon.

“The session is called ‘ministers’ question time’ and, as such, any minister can answer in place of the prime minister,” Rashid said in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Rashid (Batu Pahat-PN) was responding to Hassan Karim (Pasir Gudang-PH), who asked why Ismail (Bera-BN) had not appeared in Parliament today, despite all three questions being directed as his office. 

“This is a parliamentary convention when even the UK prime minister answers up to 30 questions in Parliament. Why is Bera not here to answer MPs’ questions?” Hassim said.

“As it is, we already have the largest number of ministers in the PM’s department.”

However, Rashid defended Ismail by saying that other ministers can respond on the prime minister’s behalf. 

This is not the first time today that Rashid has defended the government, having previously stopped the opposition from pressing Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mustapa Mohamed (Jeli-PN) on the issue of rising food prices.

Ismail has not attended any ministers’ question time sessions this sitting. The only time he was seen in Parliament was during the tabling of the supply bill 2022 on October 29.

This session where the minister is required to respond to MPs directly, instead of delegating the responsibility to deputy ministers.

The session is held twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and is limited to three questions and two supplementary questions.

The three questions directed at the PM’s department today were: how Ismail’s Keluarga Malaysia concept helped Muslims, from Abdul Latiff Abdul Rahman (Kuala Krai-PN); the new standard operating procedures for Thaipusam by V. Sivakumar (Batu Gajah-PH); and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s question on soaring food prices. – December 7, 2021.