Kit Siang: PN MPs undermined parliamentary process

Veteran DAP leader Lim Kit Siang has hit out at Perikatan Nasional (PN) MPs who opposed debating the 2021 Auditor-General’s Report in Dewan Rakyat yesterday. 

In a statement today, Lim (above) said their actions were irresponsible and undermined the parliamentary process.

“In my nearly half a century in Parliament, I would have been ecstatic if the government of the day had agreed to a parliamentary debate on the Auditor-General’s Report.

“Yet the PN opposition MPs plunged Parliament into a one-hour chaos in their opposition to debate the 2021 Auditor-General’s Report and, even worse, carried out a boycott of the debate itself.

“PN MPs have acted in a very irresponsible manner since the 15th general election, not only challenging the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s advice to act in the national interest to provide political stability and ensure that there is national unity in plural Malaysia.

“Now, they are undermining the important parliamentary role to provide checks and balances against executive excesses and abuses of power,” said Lim.

He took special aim at Bersatu’s Masjid Tanah MP Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, saying that she did no service to her role as Public  Accounts Committee (PAC) chairperson when she objected to the debate.

“She should have stayed in the chamber during the debate to hear what MPs have to say on the Auditor-General’s Report as guidance for the PAC.

“It would be ideal if there is a parliamentary rule for the Auditor-General’s Report to be debated, its reference to the PAC, and a parliamentary rule where the PAC report is then debated,” Lim added.

Chaos erupted in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday afternoon when PN MPs objected to a motion by the government to debate the 2021 Auditor-General’s Report.

Government MPs were heard crying “takut, takut!” (scared, scared!) as PN MPs stood up in support of their chief whip Takiyuddin Hassan, who first raised the objection.

Takiyuddin questioned the motion, claiming that it goes against Article 107 of the Federal Constitution and had never been done in Parliament.

This ultimately led to a shouting match between MPs from both sides of the divide and prompted deputy speaker Alice Lau, who was presiding over the session, to call for calm.

Lau then made a ruling allowing the motion to be discussed by Parliament.

Lim insisted that the boycott by the PN MPs had instead undermined the whole process.

“The question is, when will the PN MPs act with greater responsibility to their parliamentary duties and functions?” he said.

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