Opposition MPs walk out after failing to stall Procurement Bill

Summary

• Opposition MPs stage a walkout after failing to stall the Government Procurement Bill 2025.

• The bill passed by bloc vote, with 125 votes in agreement and 63 votes against.

PARLIAMENT | Opposition MPs staged a walkout from the Dewan Rakyat today after failing to stall the Government Procurement Bill 2025, which passed its second reading by bloc vote.

Speaker Johari Abdul said it passed with 125 votes in agreement and 63 votes against.

The Dewan Rakyat later passed the bill after it went through debates at the committee stage and a third reading.

The walkout followed heated arguments from Perikatan Nasional lawmakers, who expressed dissatisfaction with the bill not going through the Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC) on Finance and Economy.

Bersatu chief whip Ronald Kiandee (PN-Beluran), in raising the opposition's objection, cited a recent amendment to the Dewan Rakyat Standing Order.

He said Standing Order 80B(3) stipulates that a PSSC has the duty to scrutinise bills that are related to the relevant ministries that have been tabled for its first reading.

"It is clear in the new clause that every bill must be referred to a PSSC. But this Government Procurement Bill was not referred to a PSSC.

"So what was this amendment for? What is the committee for when this new rule is not followed?

"What is your interpretation of this new amendment?" Kiandee asked Johari.

Speaker: PSSC didn’t make a request

The speaker responded under the new standing order, a PSSC must write to any ministry that wants to table a bill that it must refer the proposal to the committee.

In the procurement bill case, Johari said, there was no such request made by the PSSC to the Finance Ministry.

"I have checked with my office, there was no request from the committee asking for the bill to be referred to them.

"Thus, I assumed that there was no request at that time," he said.

‘Don’t make excuses’

Dissatisfied with the answer, opposition chief Hamzah Zainudin then stood up and dismissed it as an excuse.

The Larut MP called for the opposition members to walk out as a show of protest.

"We rejected the bill today because it was not referred to any of the select committees.

"So do not make excuses saying that the committee did not write (to the ministry). What is this?

"And today we have raised our issue and tried to stop (the bill), albeit without a letter. Even before the voting process, we have raised this.

"If this is the way (you want to do it), then I say that we just pass the bill and get out to show that we (disagree)," he said.

‘Cynical tactic’

In a press conference later, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil called the opposition’s move a "cynical tactic".

"After the opposition lost the bloc vote, they tried to spin their defeat as if other issues caused them concern, causing them to leave the house.

"To me, this is a cynical tactic.

"Actually, they need to accept that they have lost and once again proved that the government has a majority - they still do not have enough numbers," he said.

He also said that the debates from opposition MPs were rooted in rhetoric and emotion rather than based on reality.

MPs clash over procurement bill, warn of excessive minister power

Procurement Bill to strengthen fiscal management, curb leakages - PM

Devolving powers to Parliament shows govt's commitment to accountability: PM

Measures proposed to improve country's corruption score - task force

COMMENT | Budget reforms welcomed but procurement remains a concern