When we, the common rakyat, go to the polls to elect our representatives to both the state assemblies and the Parliament, we treat it as a serious business. We are not electing these people as a drama or for a joke for a kindergarten pantomime show.

We want them to discuss serious business and display a high level of maturity and common sense, taking into the consideration the well-being of the rakyat.

However, once they are in Parliament, we hear and see a lot of antics with these MPs behaving like a bunch of spoilt hooligans even to the extent of calling each other names. Perhaps, having got into the august house, their heads have swelled up, and they start believing they are high and mighty.

And whoever told them that Parliament is the place to settle their personal scores?

While we are teaching our children to be well-behaved and respectful, those who are supposed to set examples for them behave worse than kindergarten kids and have become a mockery and disgrace to the nation.

Recently, it was suggested that MPs be sent for courtesy courses to teach them how to behave in the state assemblies and Parliament but some representatives did not take it well. I, for one, believe very firmly that it is time to send them back to the school Civics lessons.

Some of the name-calling they engage in are just a disgrace. Whatever happened to parliamentary decorum? This applies to both ruling and opposition MPs.

I hope our prime minister will do something and ensure that our representatives belong to a nation of civility and are not a bunch of hooligans. It is time to draw the line and tell them to conduct decent and well-behaved debates.

It does not mean that to disagree, they have to resort to name-calling. And what is the use of having a Speaker and also a special minister for parliamentary affairs if good conduct cannot be achieved?

I am utterly disappointed.