Pakatan slams BN for rushing eight laws in one day
April 19, 201
KUALA LUMPUR, April 19 — Federal opposition lawmakers are fuming with
the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government over its plan to “bulldoze”
through a whopping eight Bills in Parliament by tonight.
The angry parliamentarians pointed out to The Malaysian Insider via
SMSes from the House this morning that these Bills include crucial
amendments to laws involving the elections process, student
participation in politics and media freedom.
“I lost count! We are appalled. This bulldozing is atrocious to say the
least, it proves that our Parliament is nothing more than a mere rubber
stamp,” PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar wrote in her message to The Malaysian Insider.
“It
is obvious that some of these Bills are rushed thru for the sake of GE
(general election), either to control elections practices, or to claim
credit prior to GE,” Selangor DAP chairman Teresa Kok(picture) wrote in her SMS.
The Seputeh MP had earlier stood up in the House to object after deputy
minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk V.K. Liew moved the
motion seeking to adjourn the current sitting only after the eight Bills
are debated and passed through the Lower House.
“How can we debate so many Bills? This is a serious matter,” she said, her voice raised.
After some taunts from BN backbenchers, the motion was adopted.
The crucial Bills that must be debated and passed in Parliament today
include the Election Offences (Amendment) Bill 2012, Universities and
University Colleges (Amendment) Bill 2012, Private Higher Educational
Institutions (Amendment) Bill 2012, Educational Institutions
(Discipline) (Amendment) Bill 2012 and Printing Presses and Publications
(Amendment) Bill 2012.
Others include the Jasa Perkasa Persekutuan (Remembrance Allowance) Bill
2012, Pingat Tentera Udara (Remembrance Allowance) Bill 2012 and the
Capital Markets and Services (Amendment) Bill 2012.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference later, Kok said that this
was a deliberate attempt by the government to bulldoze the Bills in time
for the coming polls.
She said this had come as a shock to all Pakatan Rakyat (PR) MPs who
were not expecting to be forced to go through so many legislative
amendments by today.
“Even worse, today is the last day. And it is Thursday, so many have to
leave by noon to go back to their constituencies,” she said, adding that
there are only about 100 MPs present in the House today.
The Dewan Rakyat has 222 elected representatives.
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