Takiyuddin questions barring of suspended PN rep from public gallery

PARLIAMENT | Perikatan Nasional chief whip Takiyuddin Hassan today questioned the Dewan Rakyat speaker’s decision to bar a suspended MP from sitting at its public gallery.

This came in response to Johari Abdul’s letter last Tuesday telling Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal (PN-Machang) that he is not allowed to be at the gallery or the room for government officers on duty at the Dewan Rakyat because he has been suspended under Standing Order 44(5).

According to Takiyuddin, the rule only states that a suspended MP cannot be inside the meeting and participate in debate.

The public gallery, he stressed, was a space where any public member could sit to watch the ongoing sitting.

Even a footballer who gets sent off is still allowed to watch a game from the spectators’ stand, Takiyuddin (above) added.

“This rule clearly says that (a suspended MP) cannot sit in the meeting and cannot take part (in debates) until the end of his suspension.

“What part could he take by sitting in the public gallery? Can he speak there? Can he raise any questions? He cannot.

“Is this another act by the Madani government to further limit the roles that the opposition can play? So I ask you today to decide on this, whether this (letter) was something based on the speaker’s (Johari) own interpretation,” the Kota Bharu MP said.

Up to the speaker

Takiyuddin spoke on the matter while deputy speaker Ramli Mohd Nor presided over the Dewan Rakyat.

Ramli then told Takiyuddin that, based on his interpretation, the Standing Order was silent on where a suspended MP could sit and thus is subject to the speaker's discretion.

Ramli said he would not decide on the matter as Johari supersedes his authority and suggested the PN leader bring it up when Johari presides over the sitting.

Why only 90 minutes?

Takiyuddin also raised issues with the deputy speaker allocating only 90 minutes for opposition chief Hamzah Zainudin to debate the Supply Bill.

He said this was against the normal practice where an opposition chief would usually be given the same amount of time as the finance minister in tabling the bill.

"I have referred to a former speaker on this matter... if a finance minister gets two hours to table the budget, then the opposition chief would also be allocated the same amount of time.

"But compared to the (budget speech) that took two hours, now (the opposition chief) only gets 90 minutes. I hope the opposition chief will be given the same amount of time as the finance minister," he said.

However, Ramli rejected Takiyuddin's request, pointing out that the opposition chief was also given 90 minutes last year to debate the annual budget.

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