KUALA LUMPUR, 16 June 2009: Gerakan Youth has slammed the seven opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) who were suspended yesterday for unnecessary “politicking” in the Dewan Rakyat.
“Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin turned his oath-taking into a 20-minute show of protest over the Perak crisis,” said Gerakan Youth chief Lim Si Pin in a press statement today.
“In a parliamentary democracy, they have the right to dissent, but it does not mean they must do it in the august House, watched by so many people,” he added.
Lim stressed that the seven MPs, who were suspended from the Dewan Rakyat on 15 June for two days, could have aired their grouses through other proper channels.
The seven MPs were suspended for not removing headbands saying “Bubar DUN!!”, referring to their demands for the Perak state assembly to be dissolved to end the political impasse there.
Their suspension followed after brand-new Bukit Gantang MP Nizar led shouts calling for the dissolution of the Perak state assembly.
“We hope others will not follow their examples and go against the order of the day,” Lim, who is not an elected representative, said.
“We disapprove of MPs, both in the government and opposition, for their unparliamentary behaviour,” said Lim, adding that elected representatives should have discipline and good conduct. 
aca says
You kidding, LIm? Good conduct of MPs. Hello, who are the MPs behind Port Klang Free Trade Zone? Who is the MP who caused the Penang government to lose RM40 million and refuses to provide info. Look in the mirror, Lim.
Hafidz Baharom says
I’ve finally managed to read the draft of the Hansard of 15 June 2009.
Judging by six pages of asking people to get out for wearing headbands and armbands, it’s an argument lasting the first 20 minutes of Parliament, on the first day of sitting with a whole bunch of questions to answer.
Judging by the speaker’s ruling beforehand since March 2008, one question is allocated 5 minutes, sometimes going up to 7 or 10 [minutes], with one supplementary question allowed, sometimes two.
With all this in mind, Nizar and certain MPs from the opposition have wasted enough time to answer four questions in Parliament, thus depriving the rakyat of answers.
And at the same time, the speaker also announced there are nine laws to be discussed, including the Whistleblower Protection Act which the opposition wanted since that PI assigned to the Mongolian mediator went missing, as well as a “pindaan” to the Income Tax Act.
With all this in mind, was it worth it to have Nizar screaming and getting seven MPs kicked out instead of having them present the views of their voters?
There are other avenues for you to raise your objections. One of which is to raise it in your first address to the house.
What was done was uncouth, unruly and a waste of time.
Way to go, MPs of the opposition.
Hafiz Ismail says
Yes, Hafidz, as if the government would make good the supposedly Q&A session. Take the PKFZ issue. Many pressing questions remain unanswered but did the speaker allow them to be debated, or order the relevant minister to give his responses?
Eric says
@Hafidz Baharom
“There are other avenues for you to raise your objections.”
Pray tell which ones beyond this first address? Which would most likely have been silenced anyway.
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