Can't ask questions? Top Perikatan leaders could if they were actually present in Dewan Rakyat, says Taiping MP

KUALA LUMPUR, April 7 — Perikatan Nasional (PN) leaders have ample opportunities to ask Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim questions if only they were physically present in Dewan Rakyat to do so, said Taiping MP Wong Kah Woh today.

He said Anwar had attended seven Prime Minister Question Times (PMQ) out of the eight-week sitting where more than 60 questions, including supplementary questions, from both sides of the Lower House were answered.

“The PN trio has plenty of opportunity to ask questions, of course, provided only if they are physically present in the House,” he said in a statement.

The DAP lawmaker was responding to PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man's claim yesterday that PN leaders were not able to ask questions even if they were present during Dewan Rakyat sittings.

Wong said there is a difference between “top leaders can't ask questions” and “top leaders didn't ask questions”.

“When PN complaints of their top trio have no chance to ask questions, the first question they should answer is, did PN top's trio ever submit any questions for PMQ?" he asked.

He said if no question was submitted, logically no question would be chosen to be answered during PMQ.

Additionally, he said both sides of the House would be given equal opportunity to ask supplementary questions even if they did not submit any questions, as per the parliamentary process.

“It is also the Parliamentary convention that if the Opposition Leader is to stand up and request to speak, or in this case to ask supplementary questions, he will be given the first priority,” he said.

He added that this applied to those who are party senior leaders including PN's top leadership.

“However, when you are not there in the Chamber, you definitely have no chance to ask supplementary questions, no matter how senior you are. Simple logic,” he said.

Earlier this week, Minister Fahmi Fadzil slammed Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin and his Perikatan Nasional (PN) colleagues Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang for their absence from Parliament during the PMQ. It was not the first time the trio was absent.