Dewan Rakyat resumes with more heat…
KUALA LUMPUR: The first-day sitting of the Dewan Rakyat tomorrow will probably set new television rating records in Malaysia.
The Sabah Progressive Party attempt to table a motion of no confidence against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is going to have Malaysians from all walks of life tuning in.
The highly anticipated event, which the Barisan Nasional has vowed will not take place, has fired the imagination of Malaysians and the 222 members of the House.
Abdullah’s aides say the prime minister and his cabinet ministers will be in the House.
The motion of confidence at this point appears to have stolen some of the thunder from the mid-term review of the 9th Malaysia plan.
Abdullah will outline the review to the House on Thursday after question time at 11.30am. The event will be carried live by RTM.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said the plan will be the main business of the House from Thursday. He said the members will debate the plan review from June 26 to July 10.
“The ministries will reply until July 10 and the House will continue debating bills after that,” he said.
Nazri said among the bills to be tabled or debated at this meeting included those which were brought forward from the first session in March.
The bills are: National Service Training (Amendment) Bill 2008, Geologist Bill 2008, Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board (Amendment) Bill 2008, Judges Remuneration (Amendment) Bill 2008, Labuan Offshore Financial Services Authority (Amendment) Bill 2008.
In between the debating and passing these bills, the House will probably allow motions from members to discuss hot topics under standing order 18(1) — it allows for house proceedings to be stopped for an hour so that members can debate a matter deemed specific, urgent and of public interest.
Salahuddin Ayub (PAS-Kubang Kerian) is one member who hopes to take up floor under 18 (1) to debate the spike in fuel prices.
“I submitted the motion on Wednesday. I hope to know on Monday morning if the speaker will allow it. I am optimistic he will allow it,” he said.
However, the legal fraternity’s hope of a constitutional amendment to facilitate the creation of a Judicial Appointments Commission and another amendment, to re-insert Article 121 will not be done at this meeting.
The much touted constitutional amendment is now slated for the Budget session. — By V. Vasudevan
