KUALA LUMPUR: The Opposition failed in its attempt to reject a government motion in the Dewan Rakyat today when it could not muster the majority in a bloc vote.
The bloc vote saw a total of 83 members of parliament (MP) supporting the motion and 52 MPs opposing, one did not vote while 86 were absent.
The motion was for today’s sitting not to be adjourned until two bills, namely, the Sustainable Energy Development Authority (Amendment) Bill 2023 and the Renewable Energy (Amendment) Bill 2023, were debated and decided as stated in the Order Paper.
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions) Datuk Ugak Anak Kumbong had called for the motion.
Following the result of the vote, Deputy Speaker Datuk Ramli Mohd Nor then announced that Ugak’s motion was approved under Standing Order 12 (1).
Earlier Perikatan Nasional (PN) Chief Whip Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (PN-Kota Bharu) had opposed the motion brought by Ugak and asked if the government had any other bills to be brought up in this Dewan Rakyat session.
He said according to the Order Paper, there were only two more bills left to be tabled and decided today.
“We just entered our fourth day of Dewan Rakyat sitting and we have another seven more days to go. Does the government have any surprise bill to be presented in the Dewan Rakyat? The debate sessions seem to be too short as well,” he said.
Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim (PN-Arau) then stood up and proposed that today’s sitting proceed with the debate on the private members bill if all government business had been completed.
Ramli then decided to adjourn the sitting for 10 minutes and the bell was rung to give MPs outside a chance to take part in the block vote.
The situation turned chaotic again after the Opposition MPs claimed that several government MPs had entered the House even after the doors were ordered closed. – Bernama
