Even though a new session of Parliament will convene later this month, the practice of BN MPs having to toe the party line will not change.

NONE Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz, the outgoing Minister in the Prime Minister's Department - who had oversight of Parliament - said this in his capacity as one of two new BN assistant whips.

"When it comes to (voting on) normal issues, it should be the whip who decides,” he told a press conference in Parliament today.

"We only lift the whip when the issues concern religion or personal beliefs. Otherwise, the whip will be there all the time and voting will be according to the party line.”

Nazri was speaking after handing over his ministerial duties to Shahidan Kassim, who will be the other assistant whip.

NONE Shahidan Kassim, a former Perlis menteri besar, won the Arau seat in the 13th general election. He had previously served as Arau MP from 1986 to 1995.

DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang had yesterday said that Pakatan Rakyat will table a Private Member’s Bill in Parliament to set up an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) .

He had urged 23 BN MPs to join forces with Pakatan' 89 MPs for a simple majority to have the Bill passed.

Several politicians within BN, including in MIC and MCA, have voiced support for an IPCMC though the parties themselves have not declared their official stance on this.

However, if the MPs are required to vote as the whip commands, it is unlikely that Pakatan will get the necessary numbers to pass the Bill.