Study the Standing Orders and stop the politics of hate, speaker tells PH leaders

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Harun today urged top Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders to study the Standing Orders regarding the mechanism that determines the business of special meetings, in the wake of their latest statement calling for room for debate during the sitting to convene on July 26.

PKR chief Anwar Ibrahim, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng had criticised Azhar’s recent statement on July 15 explaining that the special five-day sitting from July 26 to Aug 2 was only to listen to explanations by ministers without any debate by MPs.

They said the Agong had on Feb 24, June 16 and June 29 expressed his view that a Parliament sitting should be held as soon as possible so that MPs could debate the emergency ordinance, the National Recovery Plan and expenditure related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“PH urges the speaker and the Perikatan Nasional government not to commit treason against His Majesty’s views and to allow room for debate and permit Parliament to function normally again and MPs to fulfil their responsibility to defend the rights of the people,” they said in a statement today.

“There will be no vote of no confidence against the prime minister presented by PH, which wants the focus to be solely on the troubles of the people in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis and the spiralling economy.”

In a statement to MalaysiaNow, Azhar said he was “bewildered and puzzled” by PH’s remarks.

“I would like to advise the PH Presidential Council to read the Standing Orders, most particularly Rule 11(3), and ascertain with precision as to the entity that appoints the business of the meeting during a special meeting,” he said.

“With the collective number of years PH has had in Parliament as MPs and even as part of the government, and with a stellar line-up of well-known legal practitioners in its stable, it doesn’t appear to understand or even know the Standing Orders very well.”

He also called for an end to what he called “the politics of hate through subtle and surreptitious misinformation as well as false narratives”.

“Stop trying to drive a wedge between me, my office and Istana Negara by issuing irresponsible statements that are no more than pure political drivel without any kind of substance,” he said.