Ramblings of Abufaris

The PM is playing chicken again when he chose to no live coverage on the motion on price hike. Pak Lah maybe getting afraid of all the lashing that he is going to get or not having concrete reasons to counter the debate.

The government will table a motion in Parliament tomorrow on the issue of increases in the prices of oil and other goods as well as the measures to tackle it.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Samad would move the motion immediately after the question-and-answer session.

“I don’t want to say what does the motion constitute because it will only be read tomorrow when the time comes,” he told reporters after a briefing on subsidy restructuring for Barisan Nasional (BN) members of Parliament at Angkasapuri here today.

Abdullah said tomorrow’s discussion would take time and the government was ready to discuss it the whole day to give an opportunity to the elected representatives understand the issue.

On today’s briefing, he said it gave an opportunity to those present not only to pose questions but also give ideas and comments.

“Everything went well and very meaningful. It is my hope that BN representatives are able to carry out their duties and responsibilities in debating the motion tomorrow.

When asked whether RTM would carry the debate live, Abdullah said: “No live coverage.”

Asked whether he wished the two Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) members of Parliament would not vote against the motion, the prime minister said: “It was not a wish but it is party discipline that they support BN.”