IN the United Kingdom, the prime minister answers questions in the chamber of the House of Commons on every sitting Wednesday, from midday, for half an hour.

During prime minister’s question time (PMQT), questions are asked in the order shown on the order paper, although the speaker may call other members not on the order paper to ask supplementary questions.

Questions can simply be what is known as “engagements” questions – that is to ask the prime minister about their engagements for the day, which will allow the member to ask a question without notice on the day; or it could be a “substantive” question, giving the prime minister notice of the question they wish to ask.

The opposition leader is allowed to ask six supplementary questions.

The UK Hansard Society, in a report in 2014, identified PMQT as “the best-known aspect of parliament’s work, famous throughout the world for its combative, adversarial atmosphere. It is the bit of parliament’s work that the public is most aware of and has likely seen on the television news”.

Writer and editor David Shariatmadari once wrote how the public “would relish seeing its unaccountable, insulated leaders exposed to something harsher than a sycophantic press conference”.

Only a handful of countries make heads of government face their harshest critics, shorn of spin doctors and autocue, week in, week out.

Malaysia is now one of those “handful of countries”, with PMQT having been introduced in the Dewan Rakyat and has been held since February.

A former UK prime minister was quoted by Shariatmadari as having described PMQT as “the most nerve-racking, discombobulating, nail-biting, bowel-moving, terror-inspiring, courage-draining experience” of his career.

It is, therefore, mind-boggling that top opposition leaders should be absent during PMQT. – April 4, 2023.

* Hafiz Hassan reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.