Monday, June 16, 2014

Reforms at Pakatan Rakyat ruled State Legislative Assemblies will assure Malaysians that voting PR brings REAL changes

Parliament needs reforms - but is there reforms happening at the State Legislative Assemblies in Pakatan Rakyat ruled states like Selangor, Penang and Kelantan. 

Government affairs are almost always given priority in the Parliament, he said, unlike the House of Commons in the United Kingdom, where the opposition is given 20 days of sitting to raise their own motions and private member bills.
So, does  Selangor, Penang and Kelantan allocate 20 days of sitting that allows the Opposition there(the BN) to raise their own motions and private member bills. One case of the Selangor Speaker allowing an Opposition motion to be debated is just not enough. We need to to see the 'reformed Parliament' that Surendran is talking about happening already at the State Parliaments - the State Legislative Assemblies. 

Let not Pakatan try to say that reforms will come only after they win in the GE14  - this is not acceptable for what they strive for at the Federal level should also be happening at the States where they govern.

Will that State Enactments in Selangor, Penang & Kelantan that restrict the usage of certain words like Allah to just Muslims be amended? 

Will the undemocratic, ethnic requirement for a Menteri Besar in Selangor be removed by a State Constitution amendment? 

There is growing concern amongst Malaysians who voted against the BN in the last two General Elections as to whether the PR is just all talk and no action ... just like the BN? 

Still no Local Council Elections - still no democratic elections for even kampung, taman, kampung barus, kampung orang aslis leaders ... and this unlike Local Council Elections have legal hurdles that State governments have to overcome...


1:22PM Jun 16, 2014

Surendran: Parliament stifling opposition voice

PARLIAMENT Returning after a six-month suspension from Parliament, PKR's Padang Serai MP N Surendran again launched an attack on the parliamentary practices and on Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia, saying the voice of the opposition is being "stifled" in the august House.
Surendran, who is also on Parliament's standing order committee, tried to raise a rare and unique question to dispute the House's meeting order for the day, in which he said almost no space is ever given for opposition motions, debates or bills.

The question was outrightly rejected by Pandikar (left) for "not fulfilling conditions" and Surendran responded that the government should "construct an effigy of a rubber stamp" to signify the function of Parliament in Malaysia.
Government affairs are almost always given priority in the Parliament, he said, unlike the House of Commons in the United Kingdom, where the opposition is given 20 days of sitting to raise their own motions and private member bills.

"Our speaker has sat for so many terms, yet there is so much he can learn from Hannah Yeoh, the Selangor state assembly speaker. She allowed an opposition motion to be debated," Surendran added.

The PKR vice-president was suspended from Parliament in November last year for saying that Pandikar was "biased" in handling matters of the House.

“Even if we are at war, we (the opposition) can’t bring a debate to the floor,” Surendran said.

Surendran also rapped the government for putting up signboards stressing the dress code required to enter the Parliament area since the beginning of this session last week.

“This is utter stupidity. Do they expect the general public who come in to watch the debates to wear a tie as well?” he asked.

He said that the government should be encouraging the people to come to Parliament and watch debates, and not discourage them instead. - Malaysiakini, 16/6/2014, Surendran: Parliament stifling opposition voice
 

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