Suspending Members of Parliament and/or ADUNs/Senators which results in their being removed from the House, and not being allowed in for a few days is a draconian practice that really must stop. This should be a REFORM brought in by the new PH government.
When a peoples' representative is removed, he/she is denied the ability to participate - to ask questions and express their views. This prejudices tens of thousands of Malaysians who elected that particular MP/ADUN/Senator..
If an MP/ADUN/Senator does wrong, the more appropriate form of punishment is a FINE, which is personal and comes from that representatives pocket..It will not impact on the rights of people/constituents - they still have the peoples' representative present and participating in the very forum he should definitely be being the Dewan Rakyat or the relevant House.
ABSENTEEISM - well, that really should be an offence that should be punished. If there is some really good reason, being a reason related to being an MP/ADUN/Senator or being a member of the Federal/State Cabinet or government, it may be excusable. If the reason is that he has to be present elsewhere is something connected to his side-business and/or profession - that is not a good reason. An MP, who is a lawyer, says he cannot be in Parliament because he has a case in Court, or a dentist MP saying that he had to attend to a surgery/customer is really not a good reason. MPs should be full-time MPs or peoples' representatives - they are being paid high enough, whereby a basic salary is about RM16,000 (with the various different allowances, it may be even higher..). Now, Parliament does not even disclose the attendance list of MPs (which should not just state date they were absent, but also the times that they were absent in each day).
There was one MP apparently, who never turned up for months to be sworn in - and that was OK? I think not swearing in and not attending Parliament are serious offences that violates peoples' rights - the right to be represented in Parliament.
When should an MP/ADUN/Senator be removed from the House? Well, if he has become uncontrollable, then maybe he can be removed for a few hours or even a day, but the reason is to allow him to cool down - so that his/her behaviour does not disrupt proceedings in the house.
During the BN era, there were cases where MPs were suspended for days...and that was wrong..
Now, during the PH reign, such bad practices must not repeat itself...No more suspension or barring of MPs from the Dewan/House... save only to cool down emotional outbreaks that disrupt proceedings...
Opposition walks out after Noh Omar suspended for 3 days
OPPOSITION MPs staged a walkout today
after deputy speaker Nga Kor Ming suspended Barisan Nasional’s Noh Omar
for three days from Parliament proceedings for questioning the integrity
of the speaker’s office.
The 20 MPs from BN and PAS were led by Ismail Mohamed Said (Kuala Krau-BN) and Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (Kubang Kerian-PAS).
Earlier, Nga said that Noh was suspended for questioning the integrity of the speaker’s office.
Noh was not in Dewan Rakyat this morning, which led Ismail to tell
Nga that he should make the ruling when the Tanjung Karang MP was in the
chamber.
‘He is not here. He should be here to defend himself or be given a chance to apologise,” he said.
However, Nga said it was every MP’s responsibility to be present when the sitting started.
Nga said it was not his job to ensure Noh was in the chamber when the meeting started.
Seeing that the deputy speaker was not going to budge, Ismail, a deputy speaker when BN was in power, led the walkout.
“This is an abuse of the speaker’s power as this issue happened outside Parliament.
“When Nga made the statements about PAS and Umno, it was done outside where he didn’t have any immunity.
“Noh had only asked him to clarify his statements,” said opposition
leader Ismail Sabri Yaakob during a press conference in the Parliament
lobby.
Ismail Sabri said there was also an element of conflict of interest as the matter involved Nga.
Ismail Sabri, a former deputy speaker, said Standing Orders 43 and 44
state that MPs who are to be sanctioned should be in Parliament when
the orders are given.
“This is not the convention as Noh wasn’t here this morning,” said Ismail Sabri.
He said that the Tanjung Karang MP should be given the chance to withdraw the remarks before the deputy speaker made his ruling.
The opposition MPs said they will stay out of the proceedings today as long as Nga chairs the Dewan Rakyat.
During the debate yesterday, Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (Pasir Mas-PAS) said
that comments about the Umno-PAS partnership would turn Malaysia into a
Taliban state was unhelpful.
At this point, Noh interjected to say that if Nga felt he had been misreported, he should have sued the media.
“If it’s true that Nga did not say those words, he should sue the
parties as he is a lawyer. He should respect the robes he’s wearing and
not try to cheat Parliament,” said Noh.
Nga said he had already explained his remarks in Parliament last
week, to which Noh questioned why Nga’s statements within and without
Parliament were different.
“Did you or did you not make those statements? You are not fit to be
deputy speaker for saying different things within and without
Parliament. It’s shameful to Parliament and the robes you wear,” said
Noh yesterday. – March 19, 2019. - Malaysian Insight, 19/3/2019
Opposition MPs walk out from Dewan Rakyat after Noh Omar suspended
KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 18 — About 20 Opposition MPs staged a walkout from
the Dewan Rakyat this morning, saying they would not return as long as
Deputy Speaker Nga Kor Ming chairs the proceedings in the Lower House of
Parliament.
The Barisan Nasional (BN) and PAS lawmakers had done so in protest
over Nga’s ruling earlier to suspend Tanjung Karang MP Tan Sri Noh Omar
for three days effective immediately.
Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri said the MPs will discuss
if they will table a motion against Nga, accusing the latter of misusing
his power.
“We urge the deputy speaker to retract the ruling as the issue raised had nothing to do with sitting.
“It is misuse of power as as he could not suspend Tanjung Karang for
an issue that had taken place outside of the Dewan Rakyat,” Ismail told
reporters outside the House, referring to a statement made by Nga on the
Umno-PAS union that prompted Noh to ask the deputy speaker for a
clarification yesterday.
Nga suspended Noh after the latter branded him unfit to sit as deputy speaker.... Malay Mail, 19/3/2019
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