KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 — Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil today said Members of Parliament who failed to attend or vote on a proposed bill to limit the prime minister’s term of office must explain themselves to their party leadership and constituents.
He said checks found that all Pakatan Harapan MPs were present and supported the motion, but several MPs from other blocs were absent, while 44 opposition MPs who were present did not vote.
“Does this mean they do not support efforts to limit the power and tenure of the prime minister?”
“This is not a party issue. This is a good governance issue,” Fahmi said after a press conference today.
Fahmi said those absent included MPs from Barisan Nasional, Gabungan Parti Sarawak, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah and Parti Bangsa Malaysia, as well as two PAS MPs.
He said various reasons were given for their absence, including hospitalisation, religious obligations and traffic congestion.
“But the instruction from the chief whip and the government’s chief whip, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, was for all government MPs to be present,” he said.
“They must explain themselves first to the people they represent, and also to their party leaders and whips.”
He said Fadillah appeared disappointed that several government MPs were not present during the vote.
He added that the failure of the bill sent a signal that some MPs were unwilling to impose limits on the prime minister’s tenure.
“Some in the opposition even said this shows Parliament wants the prime minister to continue serving beyond 10 years. That is not what the prime minister wanted, but that is the signal given,” he said.
Fahmi said the bill could be tabled again in future sittings of Parliament, with two more sessions scheduled this year in June and October.
“This bill can be brought back at any time. It has no implications for the government’s stability,” he said.
“This is about accountability and good governance. Limiting the prime minister’s term is based on the principle of accountability, and all MPs should support it.”
Malay Mail – Malaysia
