I stayed cool when in opposition - Rafizi chides PN over Dewan walkout

Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli has taken aim at Perikatan Nasional MPs over yesterday’s walkout, saying that he has always tried to maintain decorum.

Rafizi (above) said he had even refrained from using the Standing Orders in Parliament when former Ketereh MP Annuar Musa called him MP for pondan (transgender) instead of Pandan.

“I missed the mandatory PN event in Parliament - another ‘walkout’ - even though it came just one day after the Yang di-Pertuan Agong spoke about etiquette in Parliament.

“As long as I was an opposition MP, I never interrupted the debate by using the Standing Orders (or Meeting Rules) as is happening with the opposition now.

“Even though at one point, former Ketereh MP Annuar Musa mocked me as ‘member of Parliament for pondan, it’s Pandan's fault’ allegedly to make a joke and blatantly violate the Rules of the Meeting,” he said on X.

“I just answered ‘Ketereh’s age is not much different from my father's age and the people saw his morals at that age,” he added.

The minister also singled out PN chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin, who reportedly accused the government of riding roughshod over the opposition as it has a majority in Parliament.

Rafizi pointed out that when Muhyiddin was prime minister, he had declared a state of emergency and suspended Parliament when his majority support was in doubt.

Opposition lacks ideas, substance

Rafizi then highlighted that MPs have only five to seven minutes to speak in the Dewan Rakyat.

“Use that opportunity to deliver substantive points, especially if you are the opposition, because that’s the only chance for us to show off our ability to govern with better ideas than the government.

“Unfortunately, the existing opposition often lacks ideas to debate substantive issues. In the end, they delay and steal the time of the council with trivial matters on the Standing Orders (often on the grounds of ‘confounding the council’, when they are the ones who are easily confused).

“Although the speaker’s job becomes more difficult and blood pressure rises all the time, this practice of ‘walkout’ by PN will destroy PN if it does not successfully demonstrate the function of the opposition in Parliament,” he added.

Yesterday, DAP’s Iskandar Puteri MP Liew Chin Tong also described the opposition’s excuse for leaving before Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim offered his ceremonial appreciation to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong as “pedantic”.

“Usually, ministers announce policies and explain situations via a statement to Parliament which is generally presented in the morning but not necessarily so.

“The statement to Parliament is meant to officially thank the previous Yang di-Pertuan Agong and to welcome the new Yang di-Pertuan Agong.  

“This is to ensure the remarks of the parliamentary proceedings are recorded as this is the first parliamentary sitting since the new Yang di-Pertuan Agong took office,” he said in a statement.

“However, the smart alec opposition decided to nitpick the details about the morning and afternoon sessions, and then walked out of the Dewan Rakyat,” he added.

Liew pointed out that Anwar could not attend Parliament as he was hosting his Cambodian counterpart Hun Manet, who is on his first official visit to Malaysia.

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