I refer to the incident in Parliament whereby substantial members of Parliament failed to turn up for an important debate and voting on the national 2010 Budget. As a result, the national 2010 Budget was passed by a thin majority of 66-63.

However, the pertinent issue in the incident is not the thin majority of just three votes. It is the number of absent members of Parliament that is mind-boggling from both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat.

On record, only 129 members out of the whole 222 members of Parliament attended the debate and the voting on the national 2010 Budget. That’s only about a 58% attendance rate for debate and voting on an important issue, that being the national 2010 Budget.

It is disappointing, as a Malaysian, to see 42% of our representatives in Parliament failing to attend this debate and voting. So did the voting outcome really represent the votes and views of all Malaysian representatives around the country? Or does it just represent the votes and views of only those representatives who attended the sitting?

This should be an ‘eyeopener’ for Malaysians to see how they are represented in Parliament.

It is a known practice around the world that it may not always be possible for all members of Parliament to attend parliament sittings all the time due to their hectic schedules, in particular those holding important government positions.

There may even some absentees at Parliament sittings who are holding the position of a member of a state assembly as well. Although it is permitted under the federal constitution, it is now questionable whether a person holding positions in both a state assembly and Parliament could effectively fulfill their parliamentary obligations.

Members of parliament are actually supposed to vote for their respective constituencies and are paid by the taxpayers to attend and represent them in at Parliament sittings, no matter how trivial the matter that would be tabled at a particular sitting.

Their failure to attend Parliament sittings would amount to a failure to fulfill their obligations, even in situations where there are genuine reasons to serve the people elsewhere or to fulfil duties of national interest or even medical leave.

Thus it may be time for our Parliament to consider legislating and implementing ‘proxy voting’ in our Parliament where members of Parliament are entitled to appoint an alternate person to vote on his or her behalf in Parliament when there is genuine reason for absence.

Members of Parliament shall therefore be also responsible for the conduct and votes of their respective proxies in Parliament.

This proposal is to ensure that Parliament actually represents the votes and views of all Malaysians in their respective constituencies instead of just the votes and views of those who attend the sittings.

The writer is Kedah Gerakan youth chief.