Saturday, April 19, 2008

29 without Questions

updates, Sunday 20/4
I wish the Editors at the Star had linked its Page 1 story Your Questions? to the blog that broke that story, which is E-Woon's I am a Malaysian (www.iamamalaysian.wordpress.com). When I take stories and pictures from newspapers, I attribute it to them. It was one of the first things they teach you in the newsroom.
Apart from that, it is good to see that DAP's old hand Lim Kit Siang wasted no time in taking to task the five DAP Members of Parliament who did not submit any question for the first session of the new Parliament which starts next week. Read his posting: 5 DAP MPs did not submit a single question to Paliament - apologies.


original posting
Ask no lies, get no questions. The Dewan Rakyat session, which starts end of this month, is an opportunity for Members of Parliament freshly elected in last month's general election to ask the Government questions. They can ask anything; they enjoy parliamentary immunity to do so.

But as blogger E-Woon discovered, we have MPs who won't even do the basic required of them. I'd excuse the recently-dropped Ministers (Rafidah Aziz, for example, has been providing answers to questions asked for years and years, so she may have forgotten how to ask them questions) but click H E R E to find out who the 29 are anyway.

43 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:53 am

    WTF, PKR and DAP's MPs owes us explanation as to why they did submit any question.

    Anwar & Lim Kit Siang , over to you. We want you to work for us. Show us that you will fulfill your responsibilities.

    PAS, you have my great respect!!!

    Now what is the difference voting for Pakatan? They failed us even before the Parliamentary session commence.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Tuan Yang Di Pertua ,

    Soalan saya ...errr alamak saya lupa untuk memasukkan soalan-soalan sebelum Dewan ini bersidang . Minta kebenaran lagi sepenggal untuk menyediakan soalan-soalan . Boleh kan.. kan.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous1:24 pm

    biasa lah, some sleep, some stoke racism when they should be solving it, some try to be feminist, some try to show off because they are now ministers, some pay lip
    service to everything, some plain try to be kurang ajar thinking that is the only way to fit in,
    some count the cash for all their seatings, some close their eyes and pray - the macro realm of the pathetic malaysian public

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous1:30 pm

    Thanks bro for the link.

    i like your humour in this entry. gua owe you one. Thanks, again.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous2:47 pm

    I think Samy Vellu has gone Crazy

    ReplyDelete
  6. Not really an important issue as of now! Let these guys settle down! They have five years to ask all the questions you wish.

    Are we all getting too self-righteous?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous4:03 pm

    One voter’s reaction and opinion!

    My reaction on reading this, is one of total disbelief! Countless questions flooded my mind. How can this happen? How can this be allowed to happened? Why on earth, do these people offered themselves for election, in the first instance? What motivated them, then? How can the motivation disappear so fast? Do they have any principles or are they just plain opportunists? Who do they think the voters are - just brainless idiots! Are these newly-minted MPs aware of the duties and responsibilities of a MP? Have the parties they represent play its proper roles?

    Do our opinions still count with these parties and these MPs? I have decided to overlook this. I will attribute this negligence to the inexperience of the parties and the MPs. I will even offer an excuse, on their behalf - too much demands with too little time!

    But just in case they mistake my magnanimosity for stupidity, I will issue them a warning - no more seat-warming from now on! We voted for you to represent us in parliament, so work you must!

    For the leaders in DAP and PKR - your delinquent statistical percentages are 18% and 29% respectively. These do not speak well of your sense of responsibility! I cannot discern any difference between your MPs and those from the BN. I voted for you because I want to have a difference - I want you to provide the check and balance in parliament! Please show me you are up to the tasks.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous4:19 pm

    bro,

    apa bezanya 15 BN, 14 pembangkang tak hantar soalan. adakah kesemua 29 ahli parlimen ini sebahagian drp `tunggul-tunggul kayu' yg dipilih secara membabi buta pd pilihan raya baru-baru ni?

    bro, aku nak tengok gak ahli-ahli parlimen yang terkokak-kokak, tergagapgagap, terhegeh-hegeh nak cakap bahasa melayu krn selama hayatnya tak pernah cakap bahasa melayu!

    ReplyDelete
  9. My god!
    Do you know the ratio or percentage of PR MP is more than BN.

    If you don't have an issue or question, but I do. Come to my blog and champion one

    http://shiokguy.blogspot.com/2008/04/questions-for-mp-who-dont-have-one.html

    Shiok Guy
    http://shiokguy.blogspot.com/

    P/S: Parents’ Resource for autism is having an art exhibition from 20-26 April at the Pavilion. Check out the detail on http://www.pr4a.org or
    http://shiokguy.blogspot.com/search/label/Autism

    ReplyDelete
  10. Rocky..

    Can you setup a site for us to post the questions and compile them so the PR MP can use them to ask in the parliament?

    To be fair, we have the questions and how do they know what is in our mind too? Right? Lets help them out. If After we provide the questions and they don;t take it up in Parliament.. Then next GE with People Power, they are out!

    I setup one, but I worry my blog might not be able to handle the traffic. Also I am busy with my 2 special child and have less time to compile them... I dont mind doing it..

    Here the link
    http://shiokguy.blogspot.com/2008/04/questions-for-mp-who-dont-have-one.html

    Shiok Guy

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous6:24 pm

    Bro, Gaji buta. At any moment of the day, I have many questions for the Sleepy Head. I am sure you have many too.

    These MPs are jsut irresponsible. How can they be law makers when they are so irresponsible?

    If BN MPs, I can understand becasue they are always blur. But to see so many PKR and DAP on the list, my God, I gave up. There is no future for this country.

    PAS is still the best. A responsible party. PKR please learn from PAS. DSAI, plese teach your little boys what are the responsibilities of a MP.

    They PR MPs have failed us. Buat saya malu sahaja!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous6:33 pm

    hello elected frens of DAP AND PKR (forget about those BN)....enjoyment celebration long gone already...plse buck up and do the needful. I bet sure in your kawasan there is alot question to ask.....plse go to the ground and talk to the public in your area. Get your ass up and working.,..or coming next election you guys wont be on my list anymore...me as man on the street can come up with hundreds of question...why cant you guys....plse learn something from tony pua..who opened to the public about what to ask.....my my ..hello cuti sudah habiz....time to work -out..my2 this bunch of malaysian never learn..you guys are WAKIL....paham....haiya...geramnya...pulas telinga baru tau

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous6:46 pm

    WTF, the DAP PKR MPs should be punished. the best thing is to bar them from competing in the next election.

    they show they are like BN MPs even before stepping into parliment.

    no excuses should be accepted.

    they all have to come out and apologise. and tell us WHY the hell they couldn't make it

    Fxxx

    wasted my family's votes for one of them above. you own me big one and i'll never vote for you again!!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous8:53 pm

    Tian Chua has got no questions? Betul ke?

    Maybe they all haven't got over "it" yet. Maybe they still don't know they got elected.

    Maybe they need some "orientation". In IPTs they call these people "freshies". Come on, somebody rag them kow-kow. From now on, every PR member must ask at least 5 questions.

    That Bung fellow from KinaBATANGan, now leading the backbenchers, is going to have a fun time. Bocor, bocor, bocor.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous10:07 pm

    pakataan leaders have an awesome responsibility. the rakyaat has great expectations and we do not wish to see a cloned Barisan Nasional in pakataan skin. there needs to be a new vision and passion to seperate the sheep from the rasuah wolves.

    we hope that this silence on pakataan's part is legitimate with valid reasons. the rakyaat is awaiting for their voices and concerns to be expressed without fear or favour and the parties with pakataan must be the people's pulse.

    it is heartening to see Dap leaders like Kula and others standing with the downtroden and I am convinced that the other pakataan leaders will not contradict or neglect their campaign promises and goals.

    the election is over, the rasuah wolves are on the prowl.... it is now time to stand and be heard. aim high, stand tall, stay relevant.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Don't feel emotional or too excited if a number of MPs did not submit Parliamentary questions. There are ample opportunities for them to contribute particularly during Q&A sessions. The original Questions submitted by MPs are just tools for more supplementary questions. They can do this after Ministers have given their answers.

    It is no big deal if some of the MPs did not submit any question.

    For those who have attended Parliamentary sessions will know that the most important and most rewarding time is when debating the Yang Di Pertuan Agung opening speech. His majesty's speech will touch on varied subjects from government policies, national visions, economic growth, social responsibility, equitable distribution of wealth, national unity, education, judiciary, foreign policy etc, etc.

    To effectively debate Agung's speech MPs have to do a lot of research and studies and also be conversant of related issues.

    MPs are also expected to debate and contribute positively when annual Budget, Malaysia 5 Years Plan and various Bills are submitted for Parliamentary approval.

    You will notice that the print media gave more prominence and coverage to MPs who excel when debating the various Parliamentary motions. This is where you separate the best, the good and the mediocre MPs. Definitely not on the basis of whether MPs did or did not submit Parlimentary questions.

    Apparently many of us are not fully aware of the bigger role and responsibilites of MPs when they are at Parliament. They can become the most effective MPs even without them submitting any questions.

    Please do not prejudge your MPs (BN, PKR, DAP)too early. Assess their conduct and contribution when Parliament commences.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous12:50 am

    Either you "hamtam" or, otherwise, you "kena hantam".

    For BN MPs, its understandable that the Parliament used to be their "playground", but for PKR and DAP (especially the newly elected MPs), it should be their...SHOW TIME!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous1:30 am

    I can't beleive it. Tian Chua, a graduate? William Leong Jee Keen, lawyer? You must be joking ok! Tian Chua the Information Chief of PKR and William Leong, the Treasurer for PKR.

    I don't want to talk about the others PKR MPs. We have to be critical of these two MPs (Tian Chua and William Leong) because they are the so-called national figures in PKR. Like Tian Chua, information chief, parliamentary questions is the best to promote PKR where Tian Chua can table quality questions. What quality questions? Not even one single question!!! The same for William Leong Jee Keen.

    It is a sad case for Anwar. He is surrounded by these half past six politicians. How can one take power with such novices, who are good at biting police hand and crashing car into police barricade.

    If Anwar can make it up there but not with such political clowns beside him. They are just liabilities to progress.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Tribute to Si Bagok (Ayam Pahlawan, Bini Sereban!)

    Mahu baca kisah tentang sejarah ayam pahlawan. Boleh dibaca di

    http://malay-tree.blogspot.com

    Terima Kaseh.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous9:57 am

    saya komen

    ReplyDelete
  21. http://mahathirtruenationalist.blogspot.com/

    Would you prefer a strong or weak leader?

    Decide before its too late..

    Democracy and the problem of a weak state

    Sulfikar Amir , Singapore Fri, 04/18/2008 10:05 AM Opinion -Jakarta Post

    After ten years have passed since Indonesia started democratization process following the breakdown of the New Order authoritarianism, a feeling of disappointment, dissatisfaction, and disillusion is widely shared among many Indonesians pertaining to the role of democracy in improving the condition of the nation.

    Despite substantial changes in the political system that have allowed the people to voice their demands openly and expressively, the fact that multi socioeconomic problems such as poverty, lack of public security and safety, poor public services, and so forth are severely prevalent casts a conviction that the presence of democracy has not contributed to alleviating these vivid predicaments that have been around since the monetary crisis plunged the country into unending turmoil. Living in a despairing situation like this could evoke one to dismiss democracy.
    From a sociological view, however, what we see in Indonesia today is not so much the failure of democratic system as many would suggest but rather the failure of the state to perform its duty of serving the public interests and needs. The malfunctioning of the state elements to provide minimum level of public services in various sectors and structures indicates the condition of weak state characterized by deteriorating organizational and institutional capacities.
    Australian observer of Indonesia Harold Crouch argues that the weak condition of the post-Soeharto state is mostly caused by the abrupt disappearance of patrimonial structures that heavily underpinned Soeharto's power for three decades. Once the regime fell down, the state institution underwent unprecedented destabilization that consequently led to deformation of authority structures running from the central government in Jakarta all the way down to local bureaucracy.
    Adding to Crouch's observation is a set of structural changes which unintendedly disrupt the system of authority held by the central state since democratic principles were materialized.
    The first of these is the shift from one party to multiparty system in which the dominance of the ruling Golkar was challenged by the entry of other political parties previously suppressed during the New Order. This creates a fragmented politics marked by vigorous struggles over power of the state among different political groups bearing different ideologies and agendas.
    As the operation of the state is controlled by more than one politically driven entities each of which has different, often contradictory, interests, it is difficult for the state apparatus to deliver public goods under coherent planning. Within such strife, effectively coordinated policies are difficult to achieve since policies are drawn towards mere interests of those seizing government agencies.

    Producing similarly disruptive effects to the central state is the ongoing process of decentralization. Starting in 2002 with intention to empower provincial governments, decentralization appears only to reduce authority of the central government without significant development of capacity on the side of local governments.
    The results, as many observers have lamented, have been paradoxical in which more financial and political resources transferred from Jakarta to local governments are used by local elites to fulfill their own material interests sometimes with stark demonstration to their own constituents.

    The imposition of neoliberal agendas on a variety of development policies is another factor contributing to the downgrading process of the state's capacities. This has taken place ever since Indonesia was compelled to embrace a neoliberal paradigm brought in by international financial institutions, i.e. IMF and the World Bank.

    The intervention of these institutions in a number of strategic public sectors such as mining, telecommunication, infrastructure, and education were meant to increase the efficiency of the government operation through the application of market mechanism in public management.
    The outcome of this simplified approach is sadly the opposite as it reduces the opportunity for the state to enhance its capacities by giving away their jobs to the global market system dominated by multinational corporations. Thus instead of creating efficient management of public goods, neoliberal policies are inclined to create unintended crises in public sectors, widening the gap between the state and the people it is supposed to serve.
    Yet, our observation is incomplete if we overlook the impact of corruption to the state, an enormous cost that cannot be underestimated. Underlining three aforementioned factors that instantly cause the state to weaken does not necessarily mean that corruption is less damaging. We certainly need to keep in mind that widespread corruption, particularly in all level of bureaucracy, no doubt has the most harmful effects on the state capacity.
    The commitment of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to combat corruption must be appreciated and criticized as well. Most of the efforts to eradicate corruption cases are placed on high profiled cases involving officials in the executive and legislative bodies. It seems that these anti-corruption measures are undertaken with a view that neglects the "institutionalized systemic" corruption in bureaucratic organizations due to outdated culture of bureaucracy inherited from the New Order.

    This renders the state inefficient, burdensome, and lack of innovation and creativity. From this point of view, corruption is actually the effect rather than the cause, and to overcome the problem requires a whole systemic reform of bureaucratic organization incorporating meritocracy, transparency, and professional norms.
    On the last note is democracy. Except neoliberal agendas, all phenomena described above, i.e. fragmented politics and decentralized authority are a corollary of democratization process. They were in fact part of the reform agenda demanded by pro-reform activists from the outset. But we need not to blame democracy for what these structural changes have caused to the state.
    Democracy is both process and product, and fragmentation and decentralization underway are the path to build a better democratic system that cannot be achieved overnight. Just because democratic transition has no beneficial effects yet to the betterment of people's lives does not mean that democracy has failed and that we need to go back to an authoritarian system.
    The writer is an assistant professor in Division of Sociology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

    Posted by Mahathirism at 7:34 PM

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous12:23 pm

    shows the true colours of people. the opposition would shout about anything to get votes. now that they are in parliament they have decided to just sit and watch.
    what a lot of rubbish!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Winning a seat seems the easy part. Now let's see the MPs legislate. What about KJ,Wan Azizah & daughter, and Khalid Ibrahim, have they submitted theirs? What about the State Assemblies ? I hope the Speakers are all ready to handle their various assemblies, because on paper things could get exciting. All the more reason why everything should be televised. Maybe we can see some of the Taiwanese show.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Anonymous2:57 pm

    Sdr,

    Need not asking for the sake of asking...The important thing is the quality and to participate in the ensuing debate.
    Questions tend to overlap each other.
    Wait la and until you have the time to appraise each MP...give them some space la.

    Kalau mau hentam, look for those clowns with petty questions and statements...

    Orang Tua.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Anonymous3:02 pm

    APA NAK HAIRANKAN...

    satu puak anngotanya dah kenyang dan berada di parlimen kerana tuah badan memenuhi kuota parti dan kerana senior dalam parti komponennya..

    dan satu lagi puak hanya hendak menidakkan majoriti dua pertiga puak yang pertama tadi dan rakyat yang mengangkut mereka beramai-ramai ke parlimen walaupun perjuangan mereka setakat itu je..

    yang untung depa dan yang rugi rakyat yang mengundi mereka kerana di perbodohkan (saya tidak mengundi pada pru lepas kerana kedua-dua puak yang bertanding itu tidak layak pun hendak dibawa ke parlimen)...muahahaaahaaa

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous3:36 pm

    We dont elect MPs who give excuses for their inadequacies. DAP and Keadilan MPs are setting a bad example. This is unacceptable. As punishment, they should forfeit their month's wages and donate them to charity. One more misstep, the rakyat, led by Rocky, will vote them out, like what we did to the Barisan monkeys.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Salam bro,

    I too noticed that today's Star failed to specifically mention the blog from where the got the story. Maybe Woon should complain.

    Earlier this week, blogger Babe in the City - KL, complained that The Star used one of her pictures in one of their online videos. Jeswant Singh, Star's multimedia editor swiftly apologised.

    Please also note that in the accompanying story, Star did not list the names of the 29 MPs but reported the responses from mainly the PR MPs.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Anonymous4:05 pm

    You're absolutely right Rocky -- it was remiss of us not to have linked to the blogger who broke this news.

    We've done the necessary now, thanks.

    A. Asohan
    New Media Editor, The Star

    ReplyDelete
  29. Anonymous4:51 pm

    ...BUT there must be A HUGE MISTAKE.. I thought bloggers are liars, you mean the MSM ACTUALLy read, quote and cite bloggers as a 'source' of information?? and not even have the cheek to give credit when its due...and I am sure they must have read YOUR blog for the scoop? Well, this is what i have to say to those CHICKEN SHIT MSM..COWARDS AND HYPOCRITES, YOUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED!!!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Dear Rocky, This is to inform you that we did call E-Woon's and got his permission to break his story. We DEMAND you issue an apology in your blog within 24 hours. Failure to do so will result in our lawyers writing to you. Editor,e STAR.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Hi Citizens,

    Suddenly we have become the judges. Some of these MPs are operating even without a service centre that is fully equiped. Whatever they did before has all been on their own initiative and their time. When the former BN MPs never raised any issues, what did we do we slept peacefully in our own contented zones.

    I did send a note to Harris, Rocky and Zorro on how empty some of these service centres are. Where are the citizens. Has anyone gone forward to assist or help.

    The ADUn without furniture was Xavier Jayakumar. Charles Santiago, on his part has been active very much in the water privatisation issue. All these work done on their own time and sometimes donated resources. Prof Ramasamy has been doing his part from Singapore amd Penang. They all have yet to have their resources put into place.

    Just because they dont have questions to table at Parliament, we aim our missiles at them. They have been asking questions for a long time. Did anyone pay attention to them. Hmmmm only Lim Geng Yeik did that maybe. He quoted from the "water privatisation study" by Charles in the last sitting of Parliament. Please check the Hansard.

    We citizens have to be educated ourselves before we go shooting our loudmouths. For 50 years we kept quiet, suddenly sudah berani soal MP, before we were like kittens, just meowing quietly...

    ReplyDelete
  32. and come to think of it, one of them is a deputy CM (penang). shame! setting bad example.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Anonymous7:33 pm

    Rocky

    Biasalah msm punya editor. They like to plagiarise an not giving credit. Remember the name Brendan Pereira. Wong Chun Wai should start ethic class for his mercenary boys and girls in the Star.

    No ethic at all these msm editors. Shame on them.

    ReplyDelete
  34. They never have any excuse to condemn the government previously. They would simply grab the opportunity to hentam the government but when they were given the correct platform to ask, I mean to ask and not to condemn, they forget. Then came with thousands of excuse. First time as Parlimentarian is not an excuse. This is not Akademi Fantasia where the students were always get the sympathy from the voters if their performance were lousy just because it was their first concert. This is Parliament. They need to be more serious. People did not elect them for nothing. They should now act like a Parlimentarian, no more like a hooligan demo on the street. Whatever excuse they give, it is all crap. At least now they know that it is not easy to be a leader. Or perhaps they are not used to ask question because all these while, they just condemn the govt on the street.

    http://www.rozaimims.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  35. Anonymous11:34 pm

    I think the must have left their questions in the shower la, Rocky...great inspirations come in the shower. Cut them some slack lah...

    ReplyDelete
  36. Anonymous12:01 am

    Politik itu kotor, dan si pengotor tidak akan mengaku dia pengotor, lebih baik dia duduk diam diam di dalam Parlimen.

    Apa nak buat, sekadar minta maaf, rakyat yang telah memilih Pakatan rakyat tentu beramai ramai memejam mata memaafkannya.
    Anwar, Lim Kit Siang dan Lim Eng Guan mesti digambarkan hero.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Anonymous8:23 am

    Same with Malaysian insider bro. They have been running ciplak info as if its theirs and current. The pick nd pluck from other websites and wrote as theirs. But come to think of it what is unusual with one of their writers

    ReplyDelete
  38. Anonymous11:36 am

    Some of us seems to equate two wrongs to a right. For democracy to work, every one has to be responsible. Every responsibility/duty that needs to be done has to be carried out. Where does the rot start? From the fish head. Where about on the fish head? From a small spot on the fish head. If we let go the small things and just look after the big things, then we have started the rot.

    Why scream that democracy is a big let-down, later, when we do not carry out our duties and responsibilities when democracy is given to us, why do we not nurture it properly.

    We kept quiet for the last 50 years and what we got is a big mess. Can we not learn from our past mistake, must we repeat our past mistake.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Anonymous12:06 pm

    Rocky,

    I think Kit Siang may be a bit too harsh on the 5 DAP MPs who are 1st timers. They might have valid reasons for not submitting the questions.Just give them a warning and remind them they must submit questions the next time. I think they will understand and not repeat this oversight.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Dear Pray it works! you wrote ...
    ----------
    Dear Rocky, This is to inform you that we did call E-Woon's and got his permission to break his story. We DEMAND you issue an apology in your blog within 24 hours. Failure to do so will result in our lawyers writing to you. Editor,e STAR.

    5:32 PM
    ------------

    Man, you nearly gave me a heart attack there! I have checked with the Star and you are not one of the Editors there. So I'm going to sue you. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  41. A thousand apologies Rocky. I was trying to jazz up your blog. Sorry your heart skip a beat.Its good for health. But if you had a heart attack my problem would be to pray for u every day.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Anonymous10:39 am

    Tidak sepatutnya berlaku.. terutama nya MPs from BN. They should know better about doing all the process. Don end up like others BN MPs yang sudah kalah during PRU12. Show to rakyat that u guys has changed for better.

    As in PR, give them sometimes. Tetapi kerana kelantangan yang amat untuk memperjuangkan rakyat during PRU12 nampak seperti memain jer.. show some seriousness.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Anonymous8:24 pm

    Wake up all you idiots out there. There are more impportant things that pakatan rakyat need to deal with at the moment...such as cleaning up the mess of BN in the 5states. Questions in parliament currently are less important. Would you rather have an MP asking 'kenapa longkang belum di bersihkan; ? or would you rather him work hard deal with the issues that really matter like corruption and transparancy. Wake up all you idiots.

    ReplyDelete