With four months to go before SPM examinations, Bukit Gantang MP Nizar Jamaluddin is in disbelieve that Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia can't see the urgency in debating the Interlok novel issue.
KUALA LUMPUR: Parliament Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia today rejected a motion to debate the inclusion of the controversial Interlok novel in the curriculum on the basis that it was not an urgent matter.
His dismissal irked opposition MPs who questioned the separation of power between the Executive, the ruling Barisan National government and the Legislative (parliament).
Teluk Intan MP M Manogaran, who moved the motion to debate Interlok said that he was disappointed.
He said although the parliament was running into its fourth year, the House Speakers were still “not able to differentiate” the duties between the executive and the legislative arms.
“Speaker said that it has been debated by so many people, but the irony is that it has not been debated by members of parliament in the house.
“Why is it that all over the country people can speak of Interlok but members of parliament can’t debate it”? he asked when speaking to reporters after the motion was rejected.
Pandikar Amin had earlier rejected Manogaran’s request because he was of the opinion that it did not fulfill all the three criteria required to approve the motion.
Pandikar Amin said a motion to debate needed to have a specific issue and had to be of public interest. It also needed to have an element of urgency.
Not urgent
He said in the matter of Interlok, the motion fell short of the third criteria.
Pandikar Amin said that the government had given it due attention to the issue as an independent panel had already been established to look into the matter.
The matter, was as such not urgent.
Manogaran however felt that the parliament was the right place for members to debate on any matter regardless of whether or not it is being deliberated by the government.
“We may have ideas through debates in parliament that they may (want to) consider,” he said.
Bukit Gantang MP Nizar Jamaluddin meanwhile also disagreed with Pandikar Amin’s view that the issue was ‘not urgent.’
“We are going into the fourth month, SPM is in November, so there is a sense of urgency to address the matter,” he said.
Nizar also took stabs at MIC leaders whom he alleged were giving in to Umno.
“I am disappointed and shameful of the MIC, PPP and other political organization.
“This proves that MIC are merely puppets of the Umno. Why are they bowing to them?” he said adding that the Indian community leaders had completely backed-down from the matter after the independent panel was established.
The MPs stressed that the matter transcended the Indian community as the book was also offensive to other races.
The press conference which was also attended by Klang MP Charles Santiago and Kota Melaka MP Sim Tong Him also called for the retraction of the book from the syllabus.
KUALA LUMPUR: Parliament Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia today rejected a motion to debate the inclusion of the controversial Interlok novel in the curriculum on the basis that it was not an urgent matter.His dismissal irked opposition MPs who questioned the separation of power between the Executive, the ruling Barisan National government and the Legislative (parliament).
Teluk Intan MP M Manogaran, who moved the motion to debate Interlok said that he was disappointed.
He said although the parliament was running into its fourth year, the House Speakers were still “not able to differentiate” the duties between the executive and the legislative arms.
“Speaker said that it has been debated by so many people, but the irony is that it has not been debated by members of parliament in the house.
“Why is it that all over the country people can speak of Interlok but members of parliament can’t debate it”? he asked when speaking to reporters after the motion was rejected.
Pandikar Amin had earlier rejected Manogaran’s request because he was of the opinion that it did not fulfill all the three criteria required to approve the motion.
Pandikar Amin said a motion to debate needed to have a specific issue and had to be of public interest. It also needed to have an element of urgency.
Not urgent
He said in the matter of Interlok, the motion fell short of the third criteria.
Pandikar Amin said that the government had given it due attention to the issue as an independent panel had already been established to look into the matter.
The matter, was as such not urgent.
Manogaran however felt that the parliament was the right place for members to debate on any matter regardless of whether or not it is being deliberated by the government.
“We may have ideas through debates in parliament that they may (want to) consider,” he said.
Bukit Gantang MP Nizar Jamaluddin meanwhile also disagreed with Pandikar Amin’s view that the issue was ‘not urgent.’
“We are going into the fourth month, SPM is in November, so there is a sense of urgency to address the matter,” he said.
Nizar also took stabs at MIC leaders whom he alleged were giving in to Umno.
“I am disappointed and shameful of the MIC, PPP and other political organization.
“This proves that MIC are merely puppets of the Umno. Why are they bowing to them?” he said adding that the Indian community leaders had completely backed-down from the matter after the independent panel was established.
The MPs stressed that the matter transcended the Indian community as the book was also offensive to other races.
The press conference which was also attended by Klang MP Charles Santiago and Kota Melaka MP Sim Tong Him also called for the retraction of the book from the syllabus.
No comments:
Post a Comment