OPPOSITION MPs today boycotted a bloc vote on a Goods and Services Tax (GST)-related motion, saying they wanted to teach Barisan Nasional MPs a lesson. 

Anthony Loke (DAP-Seremban) said the opposition had first called for a bloc vote on the motion at 1.02pm but deputy speaker Ronald Kiandee decided to adjourn the meeting.

“Not many BN MPs were in the Dewan at that time, so we decided to teach them a lesson, but the deputy speaker postponed the bloc vote,” he said in a press conference at Parliament today. 

The motion was approved by bloc voting after Dewan Rakyat resumed at 2.30pm, with 101 MPs voting in support and none against. 

The motion dealt with Section 11(1) of the Customs Act 1976 on the minister’s powers to fix customs duties on exported and imported goods.

“The bloc vote process was misused, they waited till they had enough numbers. That’s why we boycotted the whole process and staged a walk-out.

“And for the first time, the deputy prime minister called for a bloc vote,” he said, referring to the bloc vote called by Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. 

Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen said a bloc vote ought to be taken on the spot when it is called. 

“The lesson to be learnt for BN MPs is not to skip Parliament and take Parliament for granted.

“It is their duty to attend Parliament, to answer questions to be there for voting,” he said. – March 29, 2018.