Debate-shy S’wak MPs

Attendance may be good but they are neither vocal nor aggressive, says deputy speaker

KUCHING: Sarawak MPs are among the least active when it comes to speaking in parliament, thus have very low rate of involvement during parliamentary debates, it was revealed yesterday.

However, when it comes to attendance, theirs is said to be among the best.

Unfortunately their mere presence is hardly noticed because they are not as vocal or aggressive as their counterparts from the peninsula and Sabah, said Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.

“I dare say Sarawak MPs are the least interested to speak. They seldom speak. More often than not their presence in the Dewan Rakyat is never felt because they do not seize the opportunity to be noticed.”

Junaidi told reporters after recording a radio show at RTM Kuching yesterday.

“Maybe they think they are representatives of their constituencies, thus should focus on problems in their constituencies … problems that they can solve by directly meeting local government officials.

“This is not entirely right because they must realise that they are representing their constituencies as members of parliament, as such in the Dewan, they should be able to debate on policies and how these policies can benefit our state, etc.

“Our MPs should be able to voice their concern over international matters such as disputed territories like the Ambalat islands and the Batu Putih. You must show yourselves as (knowledgeable) all-rounders,” said Junaidi.

Nevertheless, he said he must admit that Sarawak MPs were hard to match when it came to getting things done at the grassroots level.

He said he agreed that it was not necessary for matters like drainage, roads and electricity to be brought up to parliament because they were capable of solving them with local officers.

Nonetheless, he said the state MPs must no longer isolate themselves from the mainstream of parliamentary practice, “otherwise they cannot be part of the whole system”.

He said if they did not actively participate in debates in parliament or were seen as courageous or as aggressive as the MPs from other states, this could affect the people’s support for BN in the next election.

In this respect, Junaidi said he admired Sabah MPs whom he described as “not shy to speak when debating motion of thanks to the Yang Di Pertuan Agong’s speech, policy speeches by ministers and any other motion in the parliament”.

“Just don’t sit at the back there so much so that people do not know where you are. You’ll be surprised that some ministers do not know you because you never speak … because publicity (as a consequence of your involvement in parliament).

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