[Datuk Seri Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad] said they would have to apply to lease the facilities if they wanted to use them. The BN should be cautious so as to avert problems which might crop up later following the use of government facilities during the campaign, he told reporters after attending an election briefing pertaining to the Kangar parliamentary constituency near here.Now, the BN Secretary advises one thing, and the BN Chief and Deputy Chief completely defied the "advise". I do wonder if BN has applied to "lease" the jet facilities, and if so, how much is BN paying for these services. After all, their use of the services cost the Government a whopping RM792,000!
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Jetsetting PM & DPM II
Heh, thanks to the sharp memory of the moderators of Berita Malaysia, I was reminded that the Barisan Nasional (BN) secretary-general then, had himself advised "component parties of the coalition against using government facilities, including public buildingsand canopies, for the March 8 general election campaign."
Blogs in Parliament
Blogs are all-rage now, it appears.
Fong Chan Onn (ALOR GAJAH), probably one of the last persons you'd expect to raise questions with regards to blogs, raised the following question today during Question Time:
Unfortunately, both supplementary questions went to Barisan Nasional MPs (PONTIAN, the other) instead of the usual 1 to each side of the bench. The Speaker appeared a little embarrassed by the error, as it was followed by whistles of disapproval from the opposition bench. Both active Yang Berblogs in the house stood and didn't get our questions asked. I was planning to be cheeky and get the Speaker's attention that the Father of Malaysia's Blogs (Bapak Blog Malaysia), JELUTONG, should be given the chance to ask a question! ;-)
OK, so I chickened out. ;-)
Anyway, this was my intended question:
Fong Chan Onn (ALOR GAJAH), probably one of the last persons you'd expect to raise questions with regards to blogs, raised the following question today during Question Time:
[Adakah] Kementerian ingin menjadikan blog sebagai media alternatif untuk menyebar matlumat mengenai rancangan-rancangan Kerajaan memandangkan cara ini adalah sangat popular di kalangan orang muda?The new Minister of Information, Ahmad Shabery Cheek responded quickly by saying "yes", they intend to do so, and the recent "Blog" programme on RTM is very popular and achieve very high ratings.
Unfortunately, both supplementary questions went to Barisan Nasional MPs (PONTIAN, the other) instead of the usual 1 to each side of the bench. The Speaker appeared a little embarrassed by the error, as it was followed by whistles of disapproval from the opposition bench. Both active Yang Berblogs in the house stood and didn't get our questions asked. I was planning to be cheeky and get the Speaker's attention that the Father of Malaysia's Blogs (Bapak Blog Malaysia), JELUTONG, should be given the chance to ask a question! ;-)
OK, so I chickened out. ;-)
Anyway, this was my intended question:
Adakah Kementerian Penerangan tidak lagi berpolisi di mana media massa arus utama (mainstream media) tidak dibenarkan mengangkat berita ataupun "source" daripada Internet dan Blog?You are welcome to help me dig up the links to the articles whereby the former Minister of Information controversially claimed bloggers comprised largely of unemployed housewives! Heh...
Dan adakah ini bermakna kerajaan tidak lagi menganggap penulis blog sebagai "penembak curi" ataupun "suri rumahtangga yang mengganggur" sepertimana diperinci oleh Menteri Penerangan yang lalu?
Jetsetting PM & DPM
Here's an interesting question posted by Abdul Hadi Awang (MARANG) last Wednesday, and the reply from the Prime Minister's office, in case you missed it in your local papers.
Quick factoid: Candidates for parliamentary seats are permitted to spend not more than RM200,000 under the Elections Act, or be subject to disqualification.
And check out my boss getting "caught" here (or here as reported in The Star) in contrast.
Berapakah jumlah perbelanjaan yang ditanggung oleh Kerajaan sepanjang tempoh kempen Pilihan Raya Umum ke 12 dari 24 Februari sehingga 7 Mac 2008 hasil dari penggunaan jet eksekutif Kerajaan bagi kegunaan YAB Perdana Menteri dan YAB Timbalan Perdana Menteri.And the answer?
Bagi tempoh 24 Februari sehingga 7 Mac 2008, jumlah perbelanjaan untuk penggunaan jet eksekutif adalah sebanyak RM792,325.20.Lulu blogged it here.
Quick factoid: Candidates for parliamentary seats are permitted to spend not more than RM200,000 under the Elections Act, or be subject to disqualification.
And check out my boss getting "caught" here (or here as reported in The Star) in contrast.
Monday, May 05, 2008
Parliament 08-05-05
Apologies for not being able to blog from parliament today. Was a little busy finishing up some work as well as preparing my "maiden speech" in parliament, should I get the opportunity in the next 2 weeks or so.
Anyway, I stood up on two occasions during question time, hoping to pose supplementary questions to some of the other queries raised. As mentioned before, I'm unlikely to get my chance as supplementary questions during Question Time in the morning are usually limited to 2, and priorities tend to be given to those who are more senior in Parliament. But there's no harm trying I suppose ;-)
REMBAU asked the Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs to state whether the Government will introduce a new measure in tackling the issue of price hike for goods...
Datuk Shahrir Samad highlighted 4 steps which the government is taking, including setting up a special cabinet level anti-inflation taskforce. I had wanted to ask:
Datuk Seri Muyihiddin Hussein responded positively to say that investments will continue to be promoted to all states without discrimination.
This time, I was planning to be a little more cheeky, asking:
Anyway, I stood up on two occasions during question time, hoping to pose supplementary questions to some of the other queries raised. As mentioned before, I'm unlikely to get my chance as supplementary questions during Question Time in the morning are usually limited to 2, and priorities tend to be given to those who are more senior in Parliament. But there's no harm trying I suppose ;-)
REMBAU asked the Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs to state whether the Government will introduce a new measure in tackling the issue of price hike for goods...
Datuk Shahrir Samad highlighted 4 steps which the government is taking, including setting up a special cabinet level anti-inflation taskforce. I had wanted to ask:
Apabila lesen-lesen pembekalan barang-barang hanya diberi kepada syarikat-syarikat yang kurang dan tertentu, ataupun pengimpotan barang-barang dikawal melalui sistem AP, satu situasi "monopoli" akan tertimbul.Subsequently SEPUTEH also asked the Minister of International Trade and Industry to state whether the Ministry will cooperate with the 5 states which are under the administration of DAP-PKR-PAS in order to attract foreign investments... SEPUTEH (Teresa Kok) appeared concerned that she has not been able to set up a meeting with Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA) despite repeated attempts over the past few weeks.
Dalam situasi ini, selalunya harga yang dibayar oleh pengguna-pengguna Malaysia, termasuklah kalangan peniaga, akan lebih tinggi.
Adakah langkah-langkah yang perlu diambil kerajaan termasuklah pembukaan industri-industri yang tertentu, termasuklah pembekalan barang-barang seperti makanan, simen, besi, kereta, petrol dan lain-lain untuk menambahkan lagi persaingan supaya harga yang terrendah sekali dapat diperolehi oleh pengguna-pengguna Malaysia?
Datuk Seri Muyihiddin Hussein responded positively to say that investments will continue to be promoted to all states without discrimination.
This time, I was planning to be a little more cheeky, asking:
Adalah amat dibanggakan bahawa Kementerian Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri tidak akan mendiskriminasikan negeri-negeri yang ditadbir oleh DAP, PKR dan PAS.Hopefully more interesting stuff tomorrow. One thing I realised though, the written replies have now come back to the MPs on the questions which have not been answered earlier, and it's taking forever to look through them. Hopefully, I'll be able to sieve through some interesting stuff! ;-)
Akan tetapi, adakah polisi ini disebabkan kebijaksanaan menteri, ataupun polisi keselurahan kerajaan pusat sebab kami mendapati polisi-polisi yang tidak selaras daripada kementerian yang lain seperti dari perlancongan dan juga koperasi dan pembangunan usahawan, di mana kementerian tersebut menyekat wang yang sepatutnya diperuntukkan kepada kerajaan negeri?
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Section 19 New Members
I was at a function this morning where Section 19 and other Petaling Jaya residents submitted some 300 membership forms to join the Democratic Action Party (DAP), as well as forming 5 new branches.
Chinasamy, the proposed pro-tem committee chairman of one of the PJ Section 19 branches
handing over the application forms to Charles Santiago (MP, Klang),
Dr Cheah Wing Yin (ADUN, Damansara Utama) and myself
It's certainly refreshing to find so many interested in joining DAP, as I believe that the "change" which occurred in the last general elections has given the people greater belief that "more" change is possible, and the "fear" of repercussions from a lobsided Barisan Nasional government receded.
The members of Section 19 are also looking to set up a mini-service centre at the Bistari low-cost flats to help resolve the problems of the residents in the area as well. In essence, we hope that these new branches will all be active in organising activities to strengthen neighbourly as well as inter-racial ties of the residents.
Well, for those of your supporters who are not yet members, and are interested in joining DAP in Petaling Jaya, please write to allypua (at) yahoo (dot) com, with the Subject header - "Membership", and we'll try to get the forms to you. Alternatively, you can just pop by our service centre at 55M Jalan SS21/1A, Damansara Utama (10am-6pm weekdays).
Membership fees is RM5 per annum or RM100 for life membership. For those interested in actually forming a branch, the proposed new ruling is that you'd need 50 members, of which 10 are life members. Join us, support our cause and play a part in shaping the face of this country in the years to come! ;-)
Chinasamy, the proposed pro-tem committee chairman of one of the PJ Section 19 brancheshanding over the application forms to Charles Santiago (MP, Klang),
Dr Cheah Wing Yin (ADUN, Damansara Utama) and myself
It's certainly refreshing to find so many interested in joining DAP, as I believe that the "change" which occurred in the last general elections has given the people greater belief that "more" change is possible, and the "fear" of repercussions from a lobsided Barisan Nasional government receded.
The members of Section 19 are also looking to set up a mini-service centre at the Bistari low-cost flats to help resolve the problems of the residents in the area as well. In essence, we hope that these new branches will all be active in organising activities to strengthen neighbourly as well as inter-racial ties of the residents.
Well, for those of your supporters who are not yet members, and are interested in joining DAP in Petaling Jaya, please write to allypua (at) yahoo (dot) com, with the Subject header - "Membership", and we'll try to get the forms to you. Alternatively, you can just pop by our service centre at 55M Jalan SS21/1A, Damansara Utama (10am-6pm weekdays).
Membership fees is RM5 per annum or RM100 for life membership. For those interested in actually forming a branch, the proposed new ruling is that you'd need 50 members, of which 10 are life members. Join us, support our cause and play a part in shaping the face of this country in the years to come! ;-)
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Bird Park
Family Day @ The KL Bird Park today ;-)Short update (5/5/08 Mon):
Thanks for the remarks in the comments below ;-) Some response here:
I didn't write anything for this post, I just thought a picture would be good enough. Don't have to comment on everything ;-)
The picture looks jaded because it's a photo of a photo. We didn't bring a camera yesterday morning, so took a RM10 instant photo short with the birds ;-). Well, instead of scanning the picture, I did the lazy way out by taking a photo of the photo to put up, hence the lack of sharpness ;-)
As for the orange shirt - well, orange/orange-bronze-red is my favourite colour, at this point of time anyway, hence the choice of colour of my car, my bag, and even some of my ties! heh... and of course, I just don't have that many shirts!
The bird park is a big place, plenty to walk and see, especially for kids, hence I'd certainly recommend it for families with young kids. Go early though to avoid the sun!
Thursday, May 01, 2008
World Press Freedom Day
The World Press Freedom Day falls on the 3rd May.
To be frank, while I've been a firm believer in the freedom of the press, and that the printing and publications act in its current form in Malaysia must be drastically revamped, I've never really been an activist in this sphere (well, we can't be everything). I've always focused more on education and economic issues faced by the country as I would regard those as areas in which I have "comparative advantage" ;-)
Therefore, when I'm cited in the latest Economist article, "Getting the Word Out", as one of the newly elected opposition members of parliament (together with Jeff Ooi, who inspired me into blogging in the first place) who forms part of this new wave of "getting the word out" via the alternative media, and an implied role in the events which has overtaken the country over the past 2 months, I feel a little shy-lah.
This is the second time too, that we were highlighted in The Economist, the earlier mention just after elections - "Internet & Malaysian Politics: The Perils of Modernity".
As I said, expectations are high and I shudder sometimes when thinking about the weight on our tiny shoulders...
Anyway, in conjunction with the World Press Freedom Day, the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) is organising a "Towards Media and Information Law Reform" where Teo Nie Ching, my colleague from Serdang will be speaking.
To be frank, while I've been a firm believer in the freedom of the press, and that the printing and publications act in its current form in Malaysia must be drastically revamped, I've never really been an activist in this sphere (well, we can't be everything). I've always focused more on education and economic issues faced by the country as I would regard those as areas in which I have "comparative advantage" ;-)
Therefore, when I'm cited in the latest Economist article, "Getting the Word Out", as one of the newly elected opposition members of parliament (together with Jeff Ooi, who inspired me into blogging in the first place) who forms part of this new wave of "getting the word out" via the alternative media, and an implied role in the events which has overtaken the country over the past 2 months, I feel a little shy-lah.
The past few weeks have seen some exciting developments in Malaysia, which despite being a democracy has had a shameful record of muzzling the press. In the general election in March, Malaysians abandoned the plodding, pro-government traditional media in droves and turned to the web—especially to a courageous and highly professional news site, Malaysiakini. Two prominent news bloggers, Jeff Ooi and Tony Pua, were elected for opposition parties. Both have been blogging live from parliament this past week as it convened following the election.Let me put the record straight, being mentioned in the same paragraph as Malaysiakini and Jeff is certainly an honour for me, as it's like my name being mentioned with Tiger Woods in the same breath. I just hope I can live up to expectations.
This is the second time too, that we were highlighted in The Economist, the earlier mention just after elections - "Internet & Malaysian Politics: The Perils of Modernity".
As I said, expectations are high and I shudder sometimes when thinking about the weight on our tiny shoulders...
Anyway, in conjunction with the World Press Freedom Day, the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) is organising a "Towards Media and Information Law Reform" where Teo Nie Ching, my colleague from Serdang will be speaking.
Venue: The Annex, Central MarketThis forum is part of a series of events held in Central Market by CIJ. For more details, check the Malaysia World Press Freedom Day blog here.
Date: 4 May 2008 (Sun)
Time: 12.30 - 2.00 pm
"Kotakan Kata"
Upon entering the Parliament lobby yesterday morning, the first thing that happened as getting mobbed by the activists from JAG - Joint Action Group for Gender Equality ;-)
Remember Mak Bedah? Well, I was immediately presented with a cool looking cardboard folder, with the boldly written words "Kotakan Kata", a shorter form of "Kata Mesti Dikota" or roughly translated as "promises must be fulfilled".
Mak Bedah (Meera Samanther of Women's Candidacy Initiative) took pains to explain the points contained within the folder, which includes new laws which should be passed by this Parliament to reduce and prevent sexual crimes and harassment, and to re-activate the parliamentary gender caucus to curb gender discrimination and inequality.
We are also requested to apply pressure to the Government to withdrawal of all reservations by the Malaysian Government in relation to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which we are not yet a signatory.
I was even presented with a 6-inch ruler, as a gentle reminder that I will be measured by my performance in parliament to achieve the above objectives ;-)
While I can't guarantee that the Government will listen to me, I'll certainly play my part in the above objectives, all of which I found to be not only fair and just, but also imperative in a progressive and forward-looking society. And of course, I'll happily accept measurement ;-).
Watch the Mkini coverage of JAG in action in Parliament here, or read the Star coverage here.
Remember Mak Bedah? Well, I was immediately presented with a cool looking cardboard folder, with the boldly written words "Kotakan Kata", a shorter form of "Kata Mesti Dikota" or roughly translated as "promises must be fulfilled".
Mak Bedah (Meera Samanther of Women's Candidacy Initiative) took pains to explain the points contained within the folder, which includes new laws which should be passed by this Parliament to reduce and prevent sexual crimes and harassment, and to re-activate the parliamentary gender caucus to curb gender discrimination and inequality.
We are also requested to apply pressure to the Government to withdrawal of all reservations by the Malaysian Government in relation to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which we are not yet a signatory.
I was even presented with a 6-inch ruler, as a gentle reminder that I will be measured by my performance in parliament to achieve the above objectives ;-)
While I can't guarantee that the Government will listen to me, I'll certainly play my part in the above objectives, all of which I found to be not only fair and just, but also imperative in a progressive and forward-looking society. And of course, I'll happily accept measurement ;-).
Watch the Mkini coverage of JAG in action in Parliament here, or read the Star coverage here.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
An Insult to the Handicap?
BUKIT GELUGOR (Karpal Singh) was making various points via "Points of Order" during the Question Time proceedings.
While I won't go into the merits of the standing orders debate (i.e., rules and regulations of parliament), which I'm still grappling with, Ibrahim Ali of PASIR MAS, the self-proclaimed independent MP who stood on the PAS ticket, raised his voice in the Dewan, and told Karpal to shut up for supposedly wasting time, and added that if he wanted to speak in the Dewan, he should "stand up".
I didn't hear it myself, but apparently, the infamous KINABATANGAN, supported PASIR MAS as well.
If the above wasn't an unparliamentary insult, in particular to the handicapped community in Malaysia, then I don't know what is.
However, despite being pressed by various DAP MPs in the Dewan, the Speaker refused to request that these MPs "tarik balik" or withdraw their comments. He just polite requested that MPs should not mention unparliamentary words in the Dewan. I thought it was clearly unacceptable, and sets a bad precendent for future debates.
While I won't go into the merits of the standing orders debate (i.e., rules and regulations of parliament), which I'm still grappling with, Ibrahim Ali of PASIR MAS, the self-proclaimed independent MP who stood on the PAS ticket, raised his voice in the Dewan, and told Karpal to shut up for supposedly wasting time, and added that if he wanted to speak in the Dewan, he should "stand up".
I didn't hear it myself, but apparently, the infamous KINABATANGAN, supported PASIR MAS as well.
If the above wasn't an unparliamentary insult, in particular to the handicapped community in Malaysia, then I don't know what is.
However, despite being pressed by various DAP MPs in the Dewan, the Speaker refused to request that these MPs "tarik balik" or withdraw their comments. He just polite requested that MPs should not mention unparliamentary words in the Dewan. I thought it was clearly unacceptable, and sets a bad precendent for future debates.
Open Tenders
PERMATANG PAUH asked the prime minister to elaborate on the Government's commitment in implementing an open tender system as announced by the Prime Minister on achieving his 100 days in office as the Prime Minister; and the type and justification of projects which exceed RM10 million above which are still being negotiated through direct negotiation or close tender basis after surpassing the above days.
The Prime Minister responded by providing various reason why open tenders were not held and in many instances only local companies were qualified. I'll need to confirm the statistics again in the Hansard, when it gets updated, but he mentioned that 38% of Government projects above RM10m were concluded via direct negotiations. More details are probably needed as to whether this percentage is calculated by quantity or value of these projects.
The Prime Minister also gave the view that local companies need to be given protection and in certain instances, specific expertise was required, hence the "direct negotiations" approach.
I had my supplementary question prepared, but as expected, due to "seniority" didn't get my chance to ask (the only supplementary question allowed). My boss from BAGAN got the opportunity instead, and asked about the lack of open tenders and the impact on corruption.
Anyway, here was my supplementary question, had I had the opportunity:
The Prime Minister responded by providing various reason why open tenders were not held and in many instances only local companies were qualified. I'll need to confirm the statistics again in the Hansard, when it gets updated, but he mentioned that 38% of Government projects above RM10m were concluded via direct negotiations. More details are probably needed as to whether this percentage is calculated by quantity or value of these projects.
The Prime Minister also gave the view that local companies need to be given protection and in certain instances, specific expertise was required, hence the "direct negotiations" approach.
I had my supplementary question prepared, but as expected, due to "seniority" didn't get my chance to ask (the only supplementary question allowed). My boss from BAGAN got the opportunity instead, and asked about the lack of open tenders and the impact on corruption.
Anyway, here was my supplementary question, had I had the opportunity:
Kenapa projek jambatan Pulau Pinang kedua diluluskan secara runding terus tanpa open tender walaupun saiz projek tersebut amat besar?
Dan yang lebih penting - kenapa projek tersebut diluluskan dan diberi kepada syarikat berkaitan SEBELUM harga kontrak dan hargan pembinaan ditetapkan dan ditentukan, yang menyebabkan kos jambatan kerap naik dari RM2.5b sehingga RM3.5b sehingga kini RM4.3b dan ada berita bahawa pihak kontraktor meminta sebanyak RM4.8b?
Supplementary Questions Disallowed!
For the first time in the history of Malaysia, the Speaker of the Parliament has refused Supplementary Questions!
It is an absolute disgrace!
After MUAR asked the first question of the day, directed at the Prime Minister, on the Government's "new approach and plans to continue improving the public's quality of life especially in strengthening purchasing power, public safety and racial integration", the Prime Minister then gave his 15 minutes response of prepared speech, fairly standard answers.
What was shocking after that was the Speaker then ruling that "in the interest of time", we will then proceed to the second question! Of course, it created an uproar in the Dewan.
To us, it was a clear attempt by the Speaker to "protect" the Prime Minster from taking on questions by the Dewan.
After a short period of objections by opposition parliamentarians and justifications by the Speaker, thankfully, the Prime Minister stood up to request the Speaker that he be allowed to take on 1-2 questions.
MARANG (Hadi Awang) had the opportunity to ask the first supplementary question, which he used to ask on the cabinet inflation committee.
Oh, and you can check out also Wong Chun Wai's take on "the disgrace at Dewan Rakyat". Ok, I'm halfway to being convinced that I should get my wife (who terminated subscription of The Star in disgust during the election campaign period - I woke up one morning groggily and found SinChew in front of me instead ;-)) to possibly give The Star a second chance... ;-) And note, this has nothing to do with the fact that The Star gave my picture front page coverage yesterday!
It is an absolute disgrace!
After MUAR asked the first question of the day, directed at the Prime Minister, on the Government's "new approach and plans to continue improving the public's quality of life especially in strengthening purchasing power, public safety and racial integration", the Prime Minister then gave his 15 minutes response of prepared speech, fairly standard answers.
What was shocking after that was the Speaker then ruling that "in the interest of time", we will then proceed to the second question! Of course, it created an uproar in the Dewan.
To us, it was a clear attempt by the Speaker to "protect" the Prime Minster from taking on questions by the Dewan.
After a short period of objections by opposition parliamentarians and justifications by the Speaker, thankfully, the Prime Minister stood up to request the Speaker that he be allowed to take on 1-2 questions.
MARANG (Hadi Awang) had the opportunity to ask the first supplementary question, which he used to ask on the cabinet inflation committee.
Oh, and you can check out also Wong Chun Wai's take on "the disgrace at Dewan Rakyat". Ok, I'm halfway to being convinced that I should get my wife (who terminated subscription of The Star in disgust during the election campaign period - I woke up one morning groggily and found SinChew in front of me instead ;-)) to possibly give The Star a second chance... ;-) And note, this has nothing to do with the fact that The Star gave my picture front page coverage yesterday!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Visit to Parliament
I've received many requests on whether we can arrange for visits to Parliament and sit in the public gallery to observe the parliamentary proceedings ;-)
I've waited for the schedule of when questions submitted by MPs will be answered to see if there's any chance for any of my questions being answered during question time itself. Unfortunately, based on the initial schedule, the nearest to my question being answered is NO. 20 (out of ~70 a day), which means that it won't hear a verbal reply in Parliament during the 1.5 hours question time. Only the first 10-13 questions will see (hear) the light of day. (It'll still get responded to via a written reply)
Well, we are now scheduling a trip, organised by DAP Petaling Jaya for a visit to parliament.
Date: 13 May 2008 (Tue)
Time: 9.00am
Venue: Parliament Lobby
For those interested, please submit your details (Name and IC) to my assistant Erica ( ericahew (at) gmail (dot) com) by the 8th May 2008 for us to register your names.
See you then!
I've waited for the schedule of when questions submitted by MPs will be answered to see if there's any chance for any of my questions being answered during question time itself. Unfortunately, based on the initial schedule, the nearest to my question being answered is NO. 20 (out of ~70 a day), which means that it won't hear a verbal reply in Parliament during the 1.5 hours question time. Only the first 10-13 questions will see (hear) the light of day. (It'll still get responded to via a written reply)
Well, we are now scheduling a trip, organised by DAP Petaling Jaya for a visit to parliament.
Date: 13 May 2008 (Tue)
Time: 9.00am
Venue: Parliament Lobby
For those interested, please submit your details (Name and IC) to my assistant Erica ( ericahew (at) gmail (dot) com) by the 8th May 2008 for us to register your names.
See you then!
Monday, April 28, 2008
Caught Blogging in the Parliament
That's me taking my oath (pic taken off video feed)While waiting for time to pass, there were 222 members of Parliament taking their oaths individually, both Jeff who sits right next to me, and myself decided that we'll test out the systems here from right within the Dewan Rakyat ;-)
Yes, the power supply was good and the broadband access with the CAT5 cables were working fine too ;-) It's a 2MB line, could be better of course, but can't complain.
And then, Wong Chun Wai of the Star picked up Jeff's blog entry and decided to have us interviewed for blogging in Parliament. Heh, we'll see how it appears tomorrow ;-)
[update 29 Apr (Tue)]
The Star carried the story here with this picture on the front page(!) You can even watch a short clip here. ;-)
That's me sitting next to Jeff in Parliament (pic courtesy of The Star)But, it'll certainly be interesting blogging from the Parliament from hence on ;-)
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Graftbusters
A few of the leaders at DAP Selangor, including yours truly here, has decided to form a 'Graftbusters' team to assist in the process of identifying and weeding out corruption. The team is currently led by the DAP MP for Segambut, Lim Lip Eng and comprises of Gobind Singh, MP for Puchong, Lau Weng San, ADUN for Kg Tunku as well as other DAP Selangor Legal Bureau lawyers.
As reported in Malaysiakini, we are looking for civic minded individuals to email us the various cases of graft, particularly of public officials from the previous and current governments, together with the relevant evidence to enable this new team to take the necessary actions.
Many cases of graft escapes attention, in a large part due to the lack of whistleblower protection. In this case, where required, the anonymity of the complainants are protect while the Member of Parliament or State Assemblymen will take the lead in advancing the investigations.
We are not looking to replace the newly proposed "independent" anti-corruption agency (ACA), but instead to help it establish its credibility by presenting the relevant cases to them for their immediate action. The complaints which are supported with sufficient evidence will be presented to ACA, the Police as well as the Prime Minister's office.
You can submit the relevant complaints to any of DAP service centres nationwide, or with the advancements of technology, you can of course email us @ graftbuster@gmail.com. We would certainly want to play a constructive role in taming the rampant corruption amongst public officials in Malaysia. ;-)
As reported in Malaysiakini, we are looking for civic minded individuals to email us the various cases of graft, particularly of public officials from the previous and current governments, together with the relevant evidence to enable this new team to take the necessary actions.
Many cases of graft escapes attention, in a large part due to the lack of whistleblower protection. In this case, where required, the anonymity of the complainants are protect while the Member of Parliament or State Assemblymen will take the lead in advancing the investigations.
We are not looking to replace the newly proposed "independent" anti-corruption agency (ACA), but instead to help it establish its credibility by presenting the relevant cases to them for their immediate action. The complaints which are supported with sufficient evidence will be presented to ACA, the Police as well as the Prime Minister's office.
You can submit the relevant complaints to any of DAP service centres nationwide, or with the advancements of technology, you can of course email us @ graftbuster@gmail.com. We would certainly want to play a constructive role in taming the rampant corruption amongst public officials in Malaysia. ;-)
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Parliament's Question Time
In the light of the recent prominence given to MPs who for one reason or other did not submit questions on time to the Parliament for scheduling, I received a comment from a concerned citizen "Freer Parliament", which I thought was certainly worth publishing.
The 21-day notice for MPs to submit questions is archaic in this ICT era. The keying in and arrangement of questions can be done very quickly with a desktop or even a notebook and inserted in the Order Paper within minutes and copies printed equally fast with any high-speed printer.
In the age of the typewriter, 21 days is understandable and not an option. With computers, unless Parliament is without any, there is an option to shorten the notice period to even just days before the oral questions are asked.
In the House of Commons, the notice of questions is at least three days. The questions are then printed in the Commons Questions Book. The order in which the questions are asked is determined randomly by a computer.
An MP in Australia's Parliament may orally ask questions of a Minister without notice for immediate response.
A fundamental principle for Question Time is to empower the people, through their MPs, to question the government and hold it accountable for its action. For greater accountability to prevail, the government should always be kept on its toes. As such, Ministers are expected to know as much as possible and as wide as possible the ongoings in their respective Ministries. Ministers are essentially MPs elected by the people with the extra responsibility of ensuring that the government serves and operates to the satisfaction of the people.
So, when we have Ministers who do their work at all times, there should not be a need for longer-than-necessary notice for questions in Parliament. Lest they forget, many should recall that in their schooldays teachers would often hold surprise tests to determine if their students were actually studying. Or the spot check on hair guideline.
One clear message from the outcome of the general election is that the people want a stronger voice. A stronger voice to check the government and hold it accountable can be better realized if MPs can orally ask questions with the shortest notice period and demand an immediate response. Of course, Ministers should not quickly resort to "minta notis" to delay response.
The option to delay response by invoking "minta notis" should be subject to stricter conditions. It should not apply when a Minister who fails to keep a close watch on matters under his purview. After all, Ministries do send officers to Parliament and they are there to assist their Ministers. "Minta notis" is a triple frustration, first you don't get an immediate response, and then you get a prepared response as a written reply. Thirdly, written replies are quite often lost when they are not noticed by the media which tend to focus on today's questions and not last week's or even yesterday's.
One of the first tasks when Parliament convenes is to review the Standing Order to ensure the removal of any provision that may frustrate the will of the people for greater transparency, governance and accountability. The current 21-day notice will not serve this purpose and needs immediate review.
Today, every party is talking about change and reform. In this spirit, why not then table an emergency motion to immediately suspend the 21-day notice so that questions can be asked even as Parliament is in session. In the spirit of fulfilling the will of the people, such a motion should be allowed for debate because it meets the criteria of definite, urgent and of public importance.
Lastly, it is also time to redefine the definition of "definite, urgent and public importance" so as to empower Parliament to truly play its role as the People's Parliament. "Definite, urgent and public importance" can be better defined in the eyes of the people and not in the eyes of one person, the Speaker.
The people voted for a stronger voice in Parliament and now the MPs must respect this by freeing themselves from "restrictive" provisions of the Standing Order before they can champion a freer Malaysia.
Freer Parliament
The 21-day notice for MPs to submit questions is archaic in this ICT era. The keying in and arrangement of questions can be done very quickly with a desktop or even a notebook and inserted in the Order Paper within minutes and copies printed equally fast with any high-speed printer.
In the age of the typewriter, 21 days is understandable and not an option. With computers, unless Parliament is without any, there is an option to shorten the notice period to even just days before the oral questions are asked.
In the House of Commons, the notice of questions is at least three days. The questions are then printed in the Commons Questions Book. The order in which the questions are asked is determined randomly by a computer.
An MP in Australia's Parliament may orally ask questions of a Minister without notice for immediate response.
A fundamental principle for Question Time is to empower the people, through their MPs, to question the government and hold it accountable for its action. For greater accountability to prevail, the government should always be kept on its toes. As such, Ministers are expected to know as much as possible and as wide as possible the ongoings in their respective Ministries. Ministers are essentially MPs elected by the people with the extra responsibility of ensuring that the government serves and operates to the satisfaction of the people.
So, when we have Ministers who do their work at all times, there should not be a need for longer-than-necessary notice for questions in Parliament. Lest they forget, many should recall that in their schooldays teachers would often hold surprise tests to determine if their students were actually studying. Or the spot check on hair guideline.
One clear message from the outcome of the general election is that the people want a stronger voice. A stronger voice to check the government and hold it accountable can be better realized if MPs can orally ask questions with the shortest notice period and demand an immediate response. Of course, Ministers should not quickly resort to "minta notis" to delay response.
The option to delay response by invoking "minta notis" should be subject to stricter conditions. It should not apply when a Minister who fails to keep a close watch on matters under his purview. After all, Ministries do send officers to Parliament and they are there to assist their Ministers. "Minta notis" is a triple frustration, first you don't get an immediate response, and then you get a prepared response as a written reply. Thirdly, written replies are quite often lost when they are not noticed by the media which tend to focus on today's questions and not last week's or even yesterday's.
One of the first tasks when Parliament convenes is to review the Standing Order to ensure the removal of any provision that may frustrate the will of the people for greater transparency, governance and accountability. The current 21-day notice will not serve this purpose and needs immediate review.
Today, every party is talking about change and reform. In this spirit, why not then table an emergency motion to immediately suspend the 21-day notice so that questions can be asked even as Parliament is in session. In the spirit of fulfilling the will of the people, such a motion should be allowed for debate because it meets the criteria of definite, urgent and of public importance.
Lastly, it is also time to redefine the definition of "definite, urgent and public importance" so as to empower Parliament to truly play its role as the People's Parliament. "Definite, urgent and public importance" can be better defined in the eyes of the people and not in the eyes of one person, the Speaker.
The people voted for a stronger voice in Parliament and now the MPs must respect this by freeing themselves from "restrictive" provisions of the Standing Order before they can champion a freer Malaysia.
Freer Parliament
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