KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 — Opposition chief whip Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan has called for a block vote after Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs and Special Duties) Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong called for a motion to complete the government’s business stated in the Order Paper in Parliament today.
The government’s business stated on the Order Paper today includes the tabling of the second reading for the Sustainable Energy Development Authority (Amendment) Bill 2023 and Renewable Energy (Amendment) Bill 2023.
Ugak Kumbong had in his motion proposed that Parliament proceeding today will not be adjourned until both the Bills have their second and third readings tabled today.
The call for a bloc vote was done after the Opposition bloc MPs questioned why are the Bills rushed in the first week of the current Parliament sitting.
After the Deputy Speaker Datuk Ramli Mohd Nor had approved the call for the bloc vote, Perikatan lawmakers then urged him to close the door in an attempt to have numerical superiority to win the poll.
Ramli then agreed to close the House’s door based on the convention suggested by PN Pendang MP Datuk Awang Hashim and among other Opposition lawmakers.
The Dewan Rakyat was then sent into ruckus after Opposition lawmakers spotted a few government MPs entered the House even after the door was closed.
“I saw Kepong and Sungai Buloh just entered, I need you to chase them out,” PN’s Bachok MP Mohd Syahir Che Sulaiman told Ramli, referring to Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng and Sungai Buloh MP Ramanan Ramakrishnan.
The shouting match lasted for more than 15 minutes before Ramli called the Leader of the House and informed the result of the bloc vote.
The bloc vote result arrived at 83 MPs agreeing to proceed with the government’s business in the Order Paper today, 52 opposed, 86 were absent, and one (Ramli) did not vote as he was the Deputy Speaker on duty.
After the result was announced, most of the Opposition MPs led by Takiyuddin walked out and held a press conference to address their concerns.
In the press conference, Takiyuddin accused the government of not being serious about Parliamentary functions and said that the result of the bloc vote was proof that the ruling side of the aisle just "wants to go home early".
"This means that if it ends at 3pm ... the sitting is postponed even though it can be extended until 5.30 pm with a proposal.
"Meaning, the government is not serious, as if there are no more laws to be made," Takiyuddin said.
Earlier in Parliament, right after the Minister’s Question Time, Takiyuddin raised Standing Order 15 (1) which states arrangement of the Order Paper and 48 which states rules on Bills.
“Our question on the Opposition side is that today is the fourth day, and there are seven more days remaining, I want to ask does the government have no more Bills left for the remaining seven days?
“Does it not matter that the government gave a surprise on the amendment Bill for the Insolvency Act when its first reading was done on the 23rd (May 23) and there was no time for us to think about it?
“I want this to be recorded, that, will there be other Bills left for the seven remaining days if there are, when will it be?” Takiyuddin said.
He had requested for the MPs on the ruling bloc to answer his questions at the same time he asked if they were busy with the film Anwar: The Untold Story which has become an unsold story.
“This is important for the rakyat and I request a clarification for this,” Takiyuddin said.
The Deputy Speaker however said he had made a decision that the Parliament proceeding should continue as per the Order Paper.
