Parliament House Malaysia @ 2008

Malaysia Parliament descends into chaos
May 01, 2008

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's resurgent opposition flexed its newfound muscles yesterday, disrupting Parliament's first business session with noisy arguments as lawmakers from both sides traded insults and jeers. The record 82 opposition lawmakers who were elected to the 222-member Parliament in March 8 elections shouted down, in one voice, ruling National Front coalition lawmakers in an argument over a technicality.

Foreign Minister Rais Yatim said it was "the most cantankerous session in more than three decades." Karpal Singh, from the opposition Democratic Action Party, called National Front member Bung Mokhtar Radin a "Bigfoot." Bung Mokhtar retaliated by calling Singh a "Big Monkey." "This is not meant to be a shouting match!" yelled Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia, trying to calm the screaming rival partisans who rose up to vociferously support Singh or Bung Mokhtar.

The chaotic scenes were shown live on national television, which is broadcasting the proceedings for the first time, although only the first 30 minutes every day. The scenes looked more like the often-rambunctious parliament sessions of India or Taiwan than the sedate meetings that Malaysia has been used to for the last 51 years.

Information Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek said the government may scrap the television broadcasts, claiming the opposition had "grossly misused" the opportunity. Things have changed with 82 opposition members in the house, compared to 19 previously who had allowed the National Front to operate without fear of being shouted down.

Tuesday's pandemonium broke out as soon as the speaker opened the floor to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for the question and answer session. Opposition members objected, saying most of the first questions had been allotted to National Front lawmakers. Most of the first hour was a shouting match with Abdullah managing to answer only one question on race issues.

This is a mockery of Parliament," said Lim Kit Siang, an opposition colleague of Singh. "There is a conspiracy to silence the voice of the 82 opposition parliamentarians." "All Malaysians have focused their attention on this Parliament but many of you focus on pointless matters. You should be gentlemen and ladies who debate things that matter, not technicalities," said Speaker Pandikar Amin. The chaos got worse when Pandikar Amin refused to allow the opposition to ask the prime minister follow-up questio
ns. - AP
http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=MzI0MTI3NTc4

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Parliament
• House
• Malaysia
• 2008

[kuabt]

he ain't heavy, he's my brother

- hollies

[calebcyj]

nice song, what's the name? :p