MP SPEAKS | The year 2020 has proved to be a shameful year for the Parliament as it repeatedly put the clock of parliamentary scrutiny of the Executive back instead of going forwards like other Commonwealth Parliaments in parliamentary reforms.

Yesterday alone, there were four incidents which should make responsible and reform-minded parliamentarians hold their heads in shame.

There was firstly the alleged miscount in the division voting on Monday during the committee stage of the Budget 2021 debate, where Tasek Gelugor MP, Shabudin Yahaya, acting as teller for Block C, was alleged to have mistakenly marked Nazri Abdul Aziz (BN-Padang Rengas) as being in support when he was absent.

There was no miscount. Shabudin had simply disregarded the responsibility and trust vested on him as a teller in division voting in Parliament as provided in Standing Orders 47(1)...