Sufficient time should be given for Dewan Rakyat to debate important bills such as Prevention of Terrorism (Pota) and Sedition (Amendment), Malaysian Senate Council president Abdul Rahim Abdul Rahman said.

"My opinion is such important bills should be debated properly and given sufficient time for debate," he said.

Abdul Rahim ( right gesturing ) was asked whether Dewan Rakyat should have bulldozed the controversial bills which deal with human rights issue at wee hours and that insufficient time given to the lawmakers to debate them properly.

He however added that the government did retract part of the bills to give more room for debate.

The senator defended the government and Dewan Rakyat on Pota saying it was needed to address the country's increasing threat from terrorism group IS.

He also said that his colleagues must have given their best debate even though the bills were passed at the wee hours.

Dewan Rakyat stopped the clock to pass the Pota and Sedition bills last Monday and Thursday respectively.

The outraged civil society and the opposition criticised the government for hastily passing the draconian acts despite caution against it.

The former Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan warned that the government is declaring war against rakyat by stifling everyone's freedom of expression.

Our senators get world's lowest pay

Abdul Rahim also urged the people to judge for themself if the senators deserved an increment of 167 percent in basic allowances.

"The Malaysian senators's salary was the lowest in the world, even lower than Cambodia.

"So, gentlemen, you need to think if this is fair?" he asked.

The senators only accepted the amount of increment which the government felt they deserved and with the approval of the rakyat, he said.

"We would not have asked for more than what we deserve," he said.

Dewan Rakyat passed the Members of Parliament (Remuneration) (Amendment) Bill 2014 which gave the lawmakers a pay hike up to 167% last Friday.

The Dewan Negara members will have their basic allowance increased to RM11,000 from RM4,112, while Dewan Rakyat members allowance will be increased to RM16,000 from RM6,508.

While some agreed the law makers deserved a proper increment, others said the increment should be deferred given that the nation is now suffering from the implementation of goods and services tax (GST).

MCA central committee member Lua Choon Han asked the senate house to delay passing of the bill.