The Malaysian Insight

PRIME Minister Muhyiddin Yassin did not show up to respond to points raised by lawmakers who had deliberated on his National Recovery Plan briefing delivered earlier.

Instead, the job of responding to more than 20 MPs was given to the non-elected Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Abdul Aziz.

“This has never happened in the history of Parliament where substantive questions about the emergency are being answered by the finance minister,” said opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim as he tried to get Dewan Rakyat speaker Azhar Azizan Harun to compel Muhyiddin to respond to lawmakers.

“It is your duty as the speaker to get the prime minister to respond to us. It should, at the very least be, the deputy prime minister,” said the Port Dickson MP.

But Azhar did not budge and brushed aside objections from Gobind Singh Deo (Puchong-PH), RSN Rayer (Jelutong-PH), and Lim Guan Eng (Bagan-PH) and told Tengku Zafrul to continue.

To which, Gobind asked: “Why does the prime minister give his statement here but have someone else reply?

“How can Tengku Zafrul respond to questions about law when he is the finance minister,” said Gobind.

But neither Azhar nor Perikatan Nasional administration thought it was out of place.

“Tengku Zafrul is responding as he is the National Recovery Plan coordinator although he won’t answer any questions about the emergency.

“That’s out of topic,” said Deputy Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who is the Bera MP.

Lim responded by saying that it was the government that raised the issue of emergency in Parliament today.

“We didn’t raise the emergency issue but it was law minister Takiyuddin Hassan (Kota Bharu-PN) who told Parliament that the emergency ordinances have been cancelled.

“The government should at least clarify the issues concerning this cancellation,” said Lim.

But neither Azhar, Ismail nor the government budged.

Rayer asked: “Where is the prime minister?” – July 26, 2021.