Throw the ebook at unruly MPs, says Santiago

PETALING JAYA: A former MP has admonished newly elected representatives to the decrease home for partaking in shouting matches or spewing foul language, saying this isn’t the best way ahead.

Charles Santiago stated it was potential that such techniques had been employed to attract consideration to themselves and to point out to their constituents that they had been dedicated to particular points.

He spoke of “passionate” MPs on either side of the divide, and stated that is why it will be useful if the Speaker’s workplace organises coaching for the brand new MPs to information them via the standing orders.

“There’s a blue ebook that outlines the do’s and the don’ts. It offers the modus operandi on conducting enterprise in Parliament,” he advised FMT.

The previous Klang MP was commenting on the shouting match that erupted within the Dewan Rakyat after Perikatan Nasional’s Arau MP, Shahidan Kassim, questioned deputy prime minister Fadillah Yusof for invoking the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Malay rulers’ names in tabling the movement of confidence within the prime minister.

Santiago additionally stated the Speaker might play a component in guaranteeing that proceedings remained calm by issuing stern warnings to MPs who had been out of line.

Former Speaker Ariff Md Yusof stated the workplace had beforehand mentioned a number of plans to “bolster” present guidelines. This included introducing a code of conduct and amending the standing orders and sure provisions.

“We should impose extra stringent penalties as present punishments don’t chunk. The draft is there, it’s a matter of tweaking (the foundations) to swimsuit our necessities,” he stated.

Ariff, who was the Speaker for 2 years, steered a most high quality of RM20,000, an prolonged suspension interval, and forfeiting a portion of the MP’s allowance throughout suspension.

Nevertheless, former Sungai Benut MP Tawfik Ismail questioned the necessity to govern conduct within the decrease home if “we imagine in free speech and a strong democracy”.

“The Home ought to govern itself as its occupants could change each few years,” he stated.

Former regulation minister Nazri Aziz stated whereas some members might go to extremes, there have been legal guidelines to rein them in.

“Regulating behaviour is troublesome as that is cultivated from an early age,” he stated. “Voters could have additionally elected MPs for his or her behaviour, however these MPs could be punished underneath the regulation for incitement to riot and different offences underneath the prison code.”