MALAYSIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER SAYS NO TO RUBBER STAMP?

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Parliament Dewan Rakyat speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia rubbished claims that Parliament is just a “rubber stamp” for the government.

If it is a rubber stamp, there would not have “robust debates” which go into the wee hours, he said in an interview with The Star.

“When you use that word “rubber stamp”, it means that whatever the government wants, it gets. But how are you going to reconcile that with what happens in Parliament?

“With the robust debates, utterances of unparliamentary words, debates until 4am, can you say it’s a rubber stamp? To me, rubber stamp means there is no debate at all,” he said.

• Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia’s voice is unshakable as he answers any question.
• The Dewan Rakyat Speaker, known for his no-nonsense approach, says he just has to be his stern self when dealing with Members of Parliament (MPs) during proceedings.
• Indeed, one can see why Pandikar, who has been presiding over Dewan sittings since 2008, would respond that way.
• He, however, finds that MPs’ “wasting of time” – by not adhering to Standing Orders – as his biggest challenge as the Speaker.

“There is still much left to be desired when it comes to MPs behaving like a true Yang Berhormat,” quips Pandikar, who occasionally has to eject MPs from the House when they cross the line.

But unseen to the public eye, the Speaker from Kota Belud, Sabah, shares a unique bond with MPs from both sides of the divide who he occasionally advises behind the 
scenes.

Source: Malaysia Kini, The Star...More...