Rakyat losing out in the end

Sunday July 20, 2008
Rakyat losing out in the end
By SIM LEOI LEOI
It was not the first, nor will it be the last time Parliament was distracted by events beyond its gate but it must be remembered that this comes at a heavy price.
HAVING debated so much in Parliament, one would think MPs might not have turned up for the debate between Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek and PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
But they were there in the audience, visible in the background to millions of television viewers as both Ahmad Shabery and Anwar argued their points in the historic live telecast.
This only showed that, just as the public keenly follows the daily meetings of the august House each day, so are the Parliamentarians entranced by the shape of politics taking hold of the nation at this time.
Some of these “politics” even had a direct impact on the running of Dewan business – like the tip-off on an illegal rally in front of the Parliament building in anticipation of an Opposition no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister, prompting the police to close down several roads, which resulted in a traffic snarl.
The traffic congestion compounded the “Monday blues” effect for many Malaysians, including MPs trying to debate the mid-term review report on the 9th Malaysia Plan – which was into its last legs – and journalists covering the daily sittings.
By now, everyone would have known that the request for the motion was subsequently rejected by Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia and the Opposition walked out of the Dewan in protest.
However, walking out meant walking away from any debate as well as the chance, only given to an MP, to make the Government accountable for its actions. It meant walking away from asking questions, demanding action, giving suggestions, scrutinising public accounts and highlighting the needs of voters.
Emptied of the Opposition bloc, the ministers got away with minimal answers.
Ministers in Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz and Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, wrapped up their replies in about a minute. Usually, they would have been grilled, as would have Human Resources Minister Datuk S. Subramaniam and Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Noriah Kasnon. They all chose to say they were only replying to the MPs present that day.
About the only MP present on the Opposition bloc was Datuk Ibrahim Ali, who is actually an Independent candidate.
Perhaps they had a point to get across to the Opposition, just as the latter was hoping to convey its own displeasure with the Chair’s decision when it staged its boycott.
Boycott and you don’t get the answers.
Tony Pua (DAP - Petaling Jaya) must have expected that because, to the surprise of the backbenchers, the first-term Parliamentarian, wearing a rather sheepish grin, came back just as business was winding down in the evening to deliver his adjournment speech on the Education Ministry obstructing a student and teacher’s private activity.
For this valiant effort, he received resounding applause – and some catcalls.
When approached in the Parliament lobby the day after for his feelings about the motion, Pua had this to say:
“I would have rather sat in the hall. I thought we had made a statement (on the motion) when we walked out.”
In making his decision to come back, the blogging enthusiast was certainly mindful of his constituents.
“I promised them in my blog that I would raise this matter with the ministry concerned. I told them I would expect a reply that evening. If I didn’t come back, I would have failed them.
“The deputy minister has got my reply ready,” he said.
In fact, Pua was not the only Opposition MP who felt this way as DAP stalwart Karpal Singh also seemed somewhat reluctant to leave after the decision to boycott was taken. The former Lion of Jelutong was itching to take on the Prime Minister’s Department.
Although notice for the motion had originated from Opposition Leader and PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, the entire bloc had agreed to the boycott as a mark of Pakatan Rakyat solidarity.
Privately though, some Opposition MPs would have much preferred to remain.
Similarly, when Anwar was arrested on Wednesday, Azmin Ali (PKR - Gombak) told the press that all Pakatan Rakyat MPs had been told to speak up on the issue during their debate time on the Supplementary Supply Bill, which was to seek the Parliament’s permission for an additional allocation of RM20.2bil.
The funds are intended to finance subsidies by the Government due to the recent increase in the price of fuel, as well as provide for the payment of rebates to eligible motorists and motorcyclists.
Considering the fuel crisis has been making headlines recently, some Opposition MPs would have understandably wanted to talk about the plight of their own constituents.
Senior Opposition officials confessed that some of their MPs felt their voices were being drowned out by all the emphasis on one man. With only a day to debate the Bill and each MP’s time cut down to just 10 minutes, priority should have been with their voters.
“But they have to toe the party line.
“Those feeling it the hardest are the MPs who have tried so hard to get picked out by the Chair for debate,” said one such official, who hoped the current political scene was not going to drag on.
Several Opposition MPs, among them PKR members, ignored Azmin’s request and chose to focus their debate on the voters’ immediate needs.
Last week was not the first, nor will it be the last time Parliament was distracted by events beyond its gate but it must be remembered that this comes at a heavy price.
Case in point. Despite having sat for 16 days and until late hours, the House only managed to pass three Blls – the Supplementary Supply Bill, the Geologists’ Bill and the Judges’ Remuneration Bill.
The Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board (Amendment) Bill has been on the Order Paper since the first meeting in April but until Parliament closed on Thursday, it had yet to see the light of day.
If business in the Dewan is to be slowed down for more public scrutiny, that’s fine. But slowing down and the voices of the people’s representatives not being heard in the din were surely not fine.
The price is heavier still for those voters who live within urban poor pockets or are plagued by hardcore poverty in rural areas where access to education or employment is hard.
“The MPs should have been debating the food and fuel crisis so they can be responsible to their voters. Instead, our attention has been diverted by a political crisis,” said Deputy Minister S. K. Devamany.
It is a fair conclusion that in Tuesday night’s debate, while Anwar was said to have won the verbal fight, Ahmad Shabery’s victory was in creating new history for the country’s political landscape. This means that nobody actually lost.
However, while the political game continues to hold the nation’s attention, it is the voters who may actually lose out in the end.