Dewan Rakyat Speaker says MPs must take responsibility for attendance as public scrutiny grows over poor participation by several senior lawmakers.
KUALA LUMPUR: Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul has reiterated that the onus to attend parliamentary sittings lies squarely with the members of Parliament themselves.
Responding to a news report that three senior MPs – including two party presidents – recorded the worst attendance in the Dewan Rakyat this year, Johari noted that there is currently no provision in the standing orders mandating compulsory attendance nor any specific penalty for failing to be present.
Even so, he argued that elected representatives should not require legal compulsion to fulfil the promises they made to voters. He said while MPs juggle multiple responsibilities, this does not justify skipping sittings without explanation.
“They have income, they have positions, they sit on committees and they have duties outside Parliament and within their families – and of course, some may be genuinely ill,” he told a press conference after speaking at the Malaysian Bar Council here yesterday.
Also present were Bar Council President Datuk Mohamad Ezri Abdul Wahab and deputy chairperson Kokila Vani Vadiveloo.
Johari said his concern rests with MPs who are absent without legitimate reasons. He categorised MPs into three groups: the best group, those who consistently attend, debate and participate; the middle group who attend but contribute minimally; and the worst, those who frequently skip sittings yet remain vocal outside Parliament.
Despite such shortcomings, Johari maintained that he has no intention of amending the standing orders to make attendance compulsory.
“They are elected MPs. They offered themselves to be chosen to lead the people. If you are elected, you promised the people that you would bring their issues to Parliament, not to the coffee shops.”
While he believes MPs have a moral duty to attend sittings Johari said he will not police their conduct.
“Missing a sitting without reason is not acceptable. But I will not move changes to make attendance compulsory. They know their responsibilities.
“Ultimately, accountability lies with the voters. If the MPs don’t come, perhaps their constituents will punish them in the future. I leave it to them.”
According to a report in an English daily, former defence minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein recorded the highest number of absences, missing 69 of the 78 sittings this year and attending only 11.5% of Dewan Rakyat sessions.
PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang was absent for 65 days, resulting in a 16.7% attendance rate, while Parti Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal missed 60 sittings, giving him a 23.1% attendance rate.
Johari however clarified that one of the three (it is believed he was referring to Abdul Hadi) could not attend most of the sittings due to his deteriorating health.
Meanwhile, a source told theSun that Shafie’s low attendance rate was because he was extensively involved in the recently concluded 17th Sabah polls.
“Datuk Seri, as Warisan president, spent a lot of time in Sabah, especially in Semporna, his constituency. He was heavily involved in campaigning for Warisan. That’s why his attendance in Parliament declined.”
The absentee figures have drawn public attention as parliamentary attendance has been a recurring concern among voters and civil society groups, who argue that MPs have a responsibility to debate and vote on policies that directly affect their constituents.
Critics have long called for stronger enforcement mechanisms or reforms that ensure elected representatives fulfil their legislative duties consistently.
As of yesterday, the MPs have yet to respond to queries about their poor attendance in the August house. theSun has reached out to PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan, who also serves as Perikatan Nasional chief whip, to clarify Abdul Hadi’s attendance record.
theSun also contacted Government Backbenchers Club chairman Datuk Mohd Shahar Abdullah for comments regarding Hishammuddin’s attendance, but a reply is yet forthcoming.
