MPs must have freedom to choose

MPs must have freedom to choose
Charles Hector
May 9, 06 4:30pm (Malaysiakini - Letters)

It is not only absurd but also totally immature for our prime minister to say that the Barisan’s Nasional’s position is that no BN member of parliament should support a motion coming from the opposition in Parliament.

What this means is that BN members of parliament do not have the freedom to act as their consciences dictate or for the good or best interests of the people they represent. They are required to reject all that is coming from an opposition member of parliament even though deep down he or she may feel that the motion has merits and is worth supporting.

If that is what the PM said (for after all media reports have been known to get it wrong) then we do not have BN wakil rakyats but only ‘BN wakil BN’. Is that the reason why most of time most of the BN members of parliament’s seats are empty in the august House?

If this is the state of affairs, then we must all fight for the freedom of BN members of parliament to be able to choose and vote for what is in the best interests of the people of Malaysia.

Members of parliament, be they members of BN or members of the opposition, must act independently and freely support all that is good and reject all that is bad for the people of Malaysia irrespective of whose motion it is.