A DAP member of Parliament today criticised ministers in the Prime Minister's Department for not replying to the questions raised in her budget speech although the matter was under their jurisdiction.

It is the duty of ministers to reply all questions posed by MPs in the Dewan Rakyat, said Teresa Kok (DAP-Seputeh) in Parliament.

She said that in her speech on Oct 31, she had raised issues which fell under the jurisdiction of the department but minister in the PM's Department Dr Rais Yatim either replied briefly, ignored the question or directed someone else to answer.

"I was sitting patiently during the PM's Department reply session to wait for the minister to answer my questions, but unfortunately, all important questions with regard to public interests have not been answered," said Kok.

"I'm very disappointed by the attitude shown by the ministers in the department as they have purposely avoided questions posed by MPs in the Parliament, particularly the de facto law minister Rais," she told malaysiakini .

Yesterday, during the ministry's reply session, Rais did not answer questions on the Islamic state issue and left the task to the department's religious advisor Abdul Hamid Zainal Abidin.

Raised issues

In her budget speech, Kok also raised the issue of the PM's department issuing RM68,000 to the Umno Bandar Tun Razak division to build its hall at Taman Sri Endah, Petaling.

The construction of the building had irked the residents who felt that their backyard was being replaced by an 'unauthorised' building. They had lodged a police report against Umno and the contractor, resulting the construction work to be halted.

Kok had also urged the government to drop the sedition charges against Karpal Singh as lawyers should enjoy immunity for their comments made in court.

This is referring to the case against Karpal for his remarks made while defending ex-deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim in the latter's corruption trial in late 1999. Karpal had said that there was a high level of arsenic in Anwar's urine sample which could be due to top level conspiracy.

Kok further questioned whether there were any truth in the rumours about Attorney General Ainum Mohd Saaid being investigated by the Securities Commission.

'What code of ethics?'

On Oct 7, malaysiakini published a confirmation by Rais that Ainum was on a one-month medical leave. Rais and Security Commission officials have also denied that Ainum was under any investigations.

"I find it very amusing that Rais had said today that the government is studying the code of ethics to bind politicians to good behaviour."

"He, as a minister in the PM's Department, has not performed his duty by giving proper Parliamentary replies to MPs, which is against the code of ethics and professionalism of a minister," she said.

"I urge the ministers in the PM's Department to review their own conduct in Parliament before they propose any kind of code of ethics to regulate the conduct of ministers, deputy ministers and parliament secretaries," she added.

She also added that more MPs should be allowed to ask follow-up questions during the minister's reply in the House as this was the main role played by the people's representatives in Parliament.