Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Open letter to the Speaker of Parliament

update:
Aug 29: Parliament Speaker rejects motion to debate the withdrawal of the 37 charges against Zakaria Deros. The Speaker said: "Action has been taken and I consider the issue settled." Excerpt from the Bernama news:
The Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) had taken Zakaria, 61, and six of his business partners to court by virtue of their position as directors of Harvest Court Industries Bhd and Titi Steel Sdn Bhd, which had contravened the Companies Act.
They were charged with, among others, failing to notify CCM of their change of address, failing to hold annual general meetings, failing to submit financial statements and failing to submit profit and loss accounts.
Under the Act, they could have been jailed a maximum of five years and fined up to RM30,000 on each charge if convicted.
When tabling the motion, Lim Kit Siang said the dropping of the charges could affect public and investor confidence.
"And the failure to give a satisfactory explanation (on the matter) only serves to strengthen public perception that unlike ordinary people, politicians get to enjoy special privileges and legal immunity," he said.
Original posting:
You're crappy, Sir!
Lawyer Malik Imtiaz is alarmed with the Dewan Rakyat Speaker's habit of rejecting motions by the Opposition to discuss matters of national interest.
".. the trend of rejections of Opposition motions by the Speaker is alarming. Bearing in mind that it is only the Opposition that appears to be interested in more than just propaganda and non-speak (how else can one characterize the performances of members of the Government) as is easily seen from the nature of the motions moved, the continued rejection by the Speaker is undermining the very institution he is charged with safeguarding."
An urgent motion by Lim Kit Siang to debate the Port Klang Free Trade debacle[read the story here] is the latest casualty of this bad habit.
Read the rest of Malik's open letter to Tan Sri Ngah Talib here. Compare that with Zorro's disparaging take on the Speaker here.

For the latest on PKFZ, read Ancient Mariner's Some Unanswered Questions.

20 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:54 am

    parliament is invaded and colonised by a group of uncouth and corrupt members. what do you expect anymore? its just not an issue of partisanship. parliament is dysfunctional now. Period

    ReplyDelete
  2. it would appear that these elected people are the new untouchables and all-powerful so can do as they please withour any logical, practical, legal or whatever effects even whether they do anything at all or not !

    But fat pay and ill-gotten gains await nevertheless , we love ypur job mr Speaker !

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous12:58 pm

    i know this is a wrong comment for this topic (PKFT)
    can anyone probe into the denial by paklah about rumours of riots at pasir gudang/masai jhr. we in psr gdg are scared and all he can say it's a rumour. despite the presence of FRU and road blocks entering and leaving psr gdg/masai, how can he deny about it. why he have to hide by saying that there is no problem. or perhaps can our Mr. Samyvelu comment on this????

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous1:45 pm

    Rocky,

    The URL for "Read the rest of Malik's open letter to Tan Sri Ngah Talib here" appears to be the wrong one - it points to Zorro's blog.

    The correct one is: http://malikimtiaz.blogspot.com/2007/08/mr-speaker-sir.html

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous2:06 pm

    Bro Ahiruddin, with your kind permission, I'd like to put word to anon12:58:

    Dear Anon12:58 (in particular) and all Malaysians in general.

    Sometimes words via email fail to convince Malaysians of the true happening; I myself am in dark about the Pasir Gudang/Masai riots.

    If truly as you mention, please, take pictures - still and/or vidcam - and send them to bro Ahiruddin here, or any of the webtv in Malaysia: Malaysiakini, PASTV and webtv8.

    Such news however, should and must be accompanied with the sender's identity and contact details to enable any of the above to verify.

    Another alternative is for you to send the materials to Raja Petra Kamaruddin at Malaysia Today. He will know how to disburse the news accordingly, if they are true.

    Kindly understand this: most opposition and/or truth bloggers fear being led into a well-laid trap by certain quarters.

    For your information, I am a volunteer for webtv8. Our website was hijacked recently but it can still be viewed via wwitv.com at http://wwitv.com/tv_channels/b1841.htm
    And any information meant for us can be passed through bro Ahiruddin as he knows how to contact us, as do many other bloggers. Thank you.

    Shah - webtv8 volunteer.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Parliament
    A house to settle scores
    Issues and laws
    Benefiting the country and her people
    But do we get it in 50 years?

    Subjects of importance
    The Hon. Speaker threw it away
    Without baiting an eye
    He says the government is looking into it

    How silly one could get?
    It is an important subject for all to understand
    Here we have a trained lawyer and a former chief minister
    Knowing the rules and the needs of the people
    Yet here he was
    Saying it isn’t an important issue to bring
    In Parliament
    Then what is Parliament for?
    Doing the bidding of the BN only?

    The bloating government
    It must fall so the leaders know the trauma
    Of how one feels without something to hold on to
    Right now the BN leaders bloated to the score

    A speaker must be impartial
    He is there to let subjects move in cohesive dialogue
    On things or events happening around the country
    Not with one swift hand he pushes it away
    So Parliament has become a meeting arena
    Trading night market goods of cheap quality

    Promising slogans become empty tongs
    Here it lays the crying Parliament
    50 years leaving with two front teeth
    Looking at the rising of the bright moon

    What will it become?
    Mr Speaker you fail in your job
    In Parliament it is no party rule
    It is for the people………….

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous4:09 pm

    I asked a friend from Johor about the situation and he said it is pure nonsense. No riots, no fighting, there may be some traffic of certain race into another race's territory but this is pure coincidence and more due to religious celebration. Again he stressed, don't worry, nothing is happening, everything is peaceful, if there is an increased of police personnel, it is more of prevention rather that actual happening.

    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous4:41 pm

    Speaker pun cari makan be! Dia pun orang Umno. Sebut saja dalam Parlimen. Apa peduli. MP kebal dalam Dewan. Lepas tu cakap pada media. Media tak siar, masuk dalam blog. Lama-lama orang tahu juga. Media perdana milik Menteri Perdana pun akhirnya kena siar.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous5:00 pm

    embarrassing times we live in when the PM, the speaker, political leaders are less smart than you and I, and many many many more of the rakyat.

    like this, i can also be PM and Dewan Rakyat Speaker.

    what more people like malik imtiaz!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Rocky...couldn't get into Malik's.

    May 6.48 billion fire-ants take nest and multiply in all the Speaker's orifices. You certainly cannot think civil about such species. Is there any avenue to get rid of such....both the Speakers that is. In my book, they are the most corrupt....no nuggets of their own....slave to BN....prostituting a hallowed position. Why not change theirs to Echo of the BN, instead of Speaker of the House.

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  11. Not just a trend, it is almost a norm. I thought that has been the way years ago.

    They can be very casual in rejecting motions as if nothing happens.

    Golfing: 'Hold Still' while you putt and execute it casually.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous8:14 pm

    We "follow" the Westminster model. Does the Speaker there regularly reject motions?

    Ramly and his ASSistants are judge, jury and executioner of all that comes before him. His excuses are just government propoganda. Their jobs are to prevent any debate at all that might be embarassing to the government.

    Yet Pak Lah says we have a government that follows good Islamic and secular principles. This is it?

    Oh heck, Cemerlang, Terbilang and Gembilang.....dah lama Terhilang, if we ever had them at all in the first place.

    No wonder none of the Ministers are ever present in the "ogos" house because they view the House with contempt.

    The Royalty, The Legislature and the Judiciary are all under the thumbs of Sleepy Doopy and Geng.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Ramli Ngah Talib's continuous rejection of any attempt to debate any subject which may embarass the BN is really demeaning the supposed respected office of the Parliamentary Speaker.

    The Speaker is meant to be an impartial referee of the Parliamentary process. I really coudn't expect any Speaker originating from BN to be truly impartial, but this current Speaker is making the position a real joke.

    ReplyDelete
  14. a little bird tells me that it is NOT an open secret the ruling POWERS shut up the Opposition..

    Why?? FROM THE HORSES'MOUTHS

    "Orang2 tu cakap banyak aja..
    tak betul pun cakap,
    tak kesah mereka pun cakap,
    tak mahu mereka cakap, selalu cakap..
    BODOH 'rang ni. SIAPA nak dengar ke mereka?."

    Actually they only tolerate the Opposition there...BECAUSE orang orang sial electkan mereka kesana...yg orang cina dan indian lah!!

    Can you believe the ARROGANCE OF THESE BURGHERS??

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous1:04 am

    The best to get rid of the BN's arrogance is to deny them of their majority.

    NEXT COMMING ELECTION SLOGAN

    Vote for any opposition except BN

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous10:01 am

    Malaysia is gone.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous10:44 am

    Where's my comment ..? My freedom of speech you bloody hipocrite

    ReplyDelete
  18. tahnks bruder
    everyone can hv freedom of speech in cyberspace..but rockybru like malaysia today is NOT a public funded domain, and they (unforunately!!) are NOT here to take care of (y)our (non-existent) constitutional rigts.

    If you want freedom of speech, do yr own blog lah...

    Haven't we already gotten ppl like rockybru & raja petra into enough trouble with our irresponsible ramblings...??

    So chill out bruder..take a cold shower and all will be right

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous11:48 pm

    Well done the UMNO zealots and very soon the son of soil will have to eat ubi kayu for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous11:50 pm

    Merdeka is independent. So in Malaysia who is independent?
    Independent means that you do not need to depend on others, you do not need help from others, it also mean that the person can be competitive without any advantage over another person. If you do not meet the requirement you cannot call yourself independent.

    Like a child who still need to suck milk cannot be called independent. If a police take bribe he isn’t called independent too. Also if a lecturer is given research fund which someone else deserved more than this lecturer isn’t independent, he is taking advantage and that isn’t called independent.

    To be independent is not very difficult, many Malaysian are independent especially those who have to work harder to over come all the disadvantages and if they can make it than this person is really independent and can be proud of his achievement. Many Malaysian had gone abroad to seek for better opportunity, this are really very independent Malaysian because they can compete with the best in the world.

    To all hard working Malaysian I am sending you a happy Merdeka day because Tunku in 1957 wanted independent for all Malaysian but until today only some make it, for those who still need help Merdeka day has no meaning to you. I hope those who are not independent today will be able to join all those who are independent so that all Malaysian can really be called Merdeka!

    ReplyDelete