Dewan Rakyat speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia said he cannot instruct cabinet members on how to answer queries posed by lawmakers in the House.

This was after Kasthuri Patto (DAP-Batu Kawan) complained of receiving “half-baked” answers from a minister.

"About the answer to the Standing Order brought up by the YB, all members of the House should well know that as speaker and deputy speakers, we cannot instruct or arrange how ministers answer questions.

"That is what we understand. However, what is being debated will be noted in the Hansard and I believe the minister in question or his or her officers will hear your argument too," he said.

Though he reminded all members of the House, as well as ministers, that as representatives of the people they are supposed to conduct themselves well when discharging their duties.

"I hope that all members of the House, either form the opposition or the government, including ministers, must portray the best of qualities when on duty," he added.

Earlier, Kasthuri revealed she had asked for the number of citizenship applications in accordance to state and ethnicity since 2010 as well as statistics on applications accepted, rejected or in the process.

“But I only received a five-line answer," she complained.

"It said National Registration Department's (NRD) had issued a total of 43,000 citizenship from 2010 to April 2016. The highest number of applications came from Indonesia, India and Thailand," she read out the reply from the Home Ministry.

"I asked for the breakdown figure according to states, and I got Indonesia, India and Thailand. Don't they know the difference of states and countries?

"I know many MPs here have to face these half-baked answers," she lamented in the House.