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KUALA LUMPUR: The government should be able to provide detailed written parliamentary responses to MPs when it comes to spending because it involves public funds, says Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh (Photo).
He said that several questions he had raised in the current parliamentary session on public spending had received “unsatisfactory” answers from ministers, adding that this nullifies the role of Parliament.
“If parliamentarians were given the space to ask questions and ministers chose not to respond, the Speaker should have summoned them and determined whether their responses were satisfactory.
“We cannot let this continue. This is poor work, ”Yeoh said at a press conference in Parliament on Wednesday (December 16).
Yeoh had asked the Prime Minister to detail the financial costs, expenses and amount spent by public officials, including ministers, who had campaigned for the Sabah state elections from October until the elections concluded in September.
“We want to know if the source of funds for that spending came from political parties or government agencies,” he said.
He also asked the Minister of Federal Territories to reveal the list of persons appointed to the Resident Representative Council. He wanted to know if its members had local political leaders.
Yeoh also asked the Prime Minister to detail the expenses of the ministers and their deputies, according to the amount spent on renovations of official offices and residences, as well as the monthly salaries of his officers.
“We are facing Covid-19 now and we hear from public officials that there are cases where ministers renewed their official offices and residences.
“But the answers don’t have any details. I have also raised this question during the discussions, but there were no answers. So whose job is it to coordinate this matter in Parliament? He is the Speaker. “
Yeoh also criticized the new Covid-19 parliamentary rules which saw debates and ministerial responses shortened.
“The Spokesman allows interjections, but the minister has 15 minutes to respond. How can a ministry be given 15 minutes to respond? This is not a platform for MPs to raise issues.
“When that happens, the minister says they will provide written responses. Since the policy stage discussions (for the 2021 budget) concluded on November 26, I have not received any responses that he has raised on my desk.”
Yeoh said that Parliament is the best platform for a deputy to raise problems with the people, so he called for “better quality” in the government’s written responses.
“I want people to know that it is not easy. We are here every day to debate, but there are no answers, “he said.
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