ASEANEWS HEADLINE: KUALA LUMPUR – Cut allowances of lazy MPs! (Updated)

Picture for representational purpose only. — BBX

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KUALA LUMPUR: Lazy Members of Parliament (MPs) who skip the Dewan Rakyat proceedings without any valid reason should be penalised by having their allowances cut and their names shamed.

Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Salahuddin Ayub said he was agreeable to a suggestion by veteran politician Tan Sri Rais Yatim that actions be taken against them, after lack of quorum in the lower house yesterday forced it to adjourn its afternoon sitting temporarily.

“I agree that those irresponsible MPs who take their duties lightly and merely for personal gain, by skipping parliament on purpose and not taking part in the debates, then there’s good ground for actions to be taken.

“If there needs to be an allowance cut, then I leave it up to the parliament rules, or any new rulings to be decided later,” he told reporters at the parliament lobby, here, yesterday.

Salahuddin however said the MPs should be given room to explain themselves before any decision is made against them, adding that the lack of quorum among government MPs yesterday was due to many of them attending a briefing.

Following the temporary adjournment of proceedings at 2.30pm, Rais took to Twitter to suggest that lawmakers who “play truant” have their monthly allowances slashed and their names published on the papers and social media.

Commenting further on Rais’ statement, Salahuddin said some time needed to be given before it could be established the identities of the MPs who were truly lazy and “are only in parliament to receive their allowances”.

“In two years or so, we can surely judge those lawmakers who are always absent or only in the dewan for the allowances without taking part.

“If we feel, according to record, that they are irresponsible, then action should be taken. In the meantime, the media must be fair and allow them to explain their absence,” he said.

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