MEMBERS of parliament generally support Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul’s proposal to dock the daily sitting allowance of elected representatives for being absent from sessions.

They, however, want the proposal to be thoroughly studied first as in its present form, it is too rigid and does not consider special circumstances.

Gopeng MP Tan Kar Hing asked if ministers or deputy ministers would be penalised if they were absent because of official duties.

The PKR lawmaker said there must be guidelines drawn up on the acceptability or not of certain absences and the required hours for them to be present, among other issues.

Tan said the proposal was good as it primarily aimed to ensure legislators fulfilled their responsibilities as MPs, but Johari had to consider “practical issues”.

He noted that if the proposal was implemented, it would embarrass regular absentees.

Tan also said Johari should consider disclosing the MPs’ attendences more frequently.

“In the past, it’s only at the end of the quarterly session,” he said.

He said it was worth considering that MPs’ attendances be announced daily or maybe weekly as a short-term solution.

“This would not only keep the public informed about their elected representatives’ attendance but also serve as a reminder to frequently absent members.”

Raub MP Chow Yu Hui said there was a practical issue to be considered.

The DAP lawmaker said some MPs might find debates on localised issues to be of no interest to them and might step out of the chamber for other urgent matters or even meet with the ministers to discuss matters of importance.

“These occasional situations outside the chamber should still be acceptable,” he said.

“The speaker is also an MP. I believe he knows that sometimes, when other members are debating, there are indeed some who are not in the chamber.

“However, they are still within the parliamentary building, possibly in their offices engaging with the media, or meeting with ministers and deputy ministers to discuss urgent issues.

“Their absence from the chamber doesn’t mean they are not working.”

He said he hoped Johari could find a “balanced approach” that punished those who checked in and did not stay long while also maintaining some flexibility.

Amend Standing Orders

Tanjung Piai MP Wee Jeck Seng from MCA shared Chow’s call for a flexible approach.

“We can’t be expecting members to sit in the chamber all day listening to endless debates,” he said.

“It’s just not practical. Sometimes, they need to leave their seat to maybe prepare their own upcoming debate, keep up with appointments, answer calls, or reply to messages,” he added.

Wee agreed that some form of punishment was needed to deter absenteeism.

“There are 222 MPs and what do we get sometimes? 10 to 20 in the chamber.”

Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng said he did not believe deducting the daily allowances would have the desired impact.

Negative media coverage on the “habitually and chronically absent” would make errant MPs “more cautious”, he added.

Lim said if MPs had a legitimate reason to be absent from a sitting, they had the right to request a leave of absence from the speaker or the Dewan Rakyat secretary.

“It’s those who do not apply for it that should be penalised.” 

Earlier this week, Johari Abdul disclosed that there have been calls to have the Standing Orders amended to pave the way for deducting the allowances of absent members.

He said the daily allowance for an MP is RM500.

“If you don’t come for X number of hours a day, you don’t get an allowance for that day. I think that is a good idea. They must spend a certain amount of time in the House before they are entitled to the daily allowances they are paid. 

“Sometimes, they come for five minutes, and they go out and never come back.

“Sometimes, MPs are absent for consecutive days, and unfortunately, I don’t have the authority to punish them. If they have no valid reasons and continue to be absent for several days, the speaker should have the authority to take action by withholding their allowances,” he added. 

Johari said he would submit his proposal to the House Committee, which he chairs, for further discussion.

When the 15th Malaysian Parliament convened its first meeting in February, the unity government made every Tuesday the Prime Minister’s Question Time where Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim personally answered questions directed at him.

According to parliamentary attendance records, that first session had the highest attendance with 97 members present.

Parliamentary Standing Order 13 stipulates that at least 26 members must be present for a session to proceed. – September 1, 2023.