MPs who comment online despite being absent in Dewan ‘under close watch’

August 9, 2024

MPs who comment online despite being absent in Dewan ‘under close watch’

PETALING JAYA: Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul has issued a warning against MPs who comment on certain issues on social media despite being absent from parliamentary debates, giving the impression that they were present in Parliament.

“They are under close watch,” Bernama reported him as saying.

He said such behaviour should not be tolerated as it can mislead the public.

Speaking to reporters at the Perlis state legislative assembly complex in Kangar today, Johari said there have been many positive changes in Parliament.

They included sessions where ministers could provide briefings on current issues during Dewan Rakyat sittings even if there were no questions posed by MPs.

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“I try to ensure that MPs do not talk about politics but focus on substance, so that the time available can be used for ministerial briefings.

“Sometimes, ministers will not address current issues unless there are questions. The public should be informed (on these issues), but often they are not.

“It helps if we provide briefing sessions for ministers to address current issues, even if there are no questions from MPs.

“For instance, I recently allowed the second finance minister (Amir Hamzah Azizan) to explain the purchase of Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd’s shares.

“We provided an hour for the minister’s briefing, not just 10 minutes,” he said.

Johari also advised state governments to include a special “hospitality” allocation for state assembly speakers in their respective budgets to ensure their activities proceed smoothly.

He said this allocation would be among the topics discussed at the Parliament and State Legislative Assembly Speakers’ Conference to be held in Sarawak in September.