A cut in allowance for absent members of parliament is being considered, says Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul in an interview.
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00:00 Hi, lawyer by name, young man.
00:03 Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul said in an interview recently
00:08 that there is a call for Parliament to tackle the issue of absent members of Parliament during the proceedings.
00:14 He said the idea of cutting the MP's allowance will be brought to the House Committee that he chairs.
00:20 In fact, there's a call by a former speaker to have the standing order amended.
00:29 If you do not come in a day, enough hours in a day, you might not even get your allowances.
00:35 I think that's a good idea.
00:36 You must have X amount of time that you spend in the Dewan.
00:40 Then you are only entitled and eligible for daily allowance.
00:44 We are paying them handsomely about 500 a day.
00:47 So sometimes they come in for five minutes, then they go out and they never come back.
00:51 And some are just totally absent for days, you know.
00:54 And I do not have the power to punish them.
00:58 Certainly I will talk with my colleague, and if need to be, I'll certainly introduce.
01:05 Let me talk to them, see whether that is possible or not.
01:10 He said the Prime Minister Question Time session on Tuesdays was introduced
01:15 when the 15th Parliament convened its first meeting in February,
01:19 while every Thursday the Ministers will also be in the Parliament to answer MPs' questions.
01:25 Especially during the PM Question Time on Tuesday,
01:29 that is where I think the Parliament should have a full house.
01:33 Because PM was there, and PM gives his time, and Choo Choo will be around.
01:38 And I will allow more than one question, additional question, if it needs to be.
01:43 It's quite embarrassing to raise this issue because I think they are mature enough
01:50 to know their responsibility.
01:52 The measure is seen as one of the reforms by Parliament to enhance the integrity of the institution
01:58 and the image of MPs in the country.
02:01 Thank you.
02:02 [BLANK_AUDIO]