No-smoking notices must be approved by speaker first, say MPs

No-smoking notices must be approved by speaker first, say MPs

Pakatan Harapan's Johari Abdul and Barisan Nasional's Bung Moktar Radin say ministers have no authority to put up notices in Parliament without permission from the speaker.

Bernama pic
KUALA LUMPUR:
Two MPs from opposing camps today joined hands against the smoking ban in the Dewan Rakyat, saying ministers do not have the right to issue notices without the speaker’s permission.

Johari Abdul (PH-Sungai Petani) said only the speaker had the right to give such orders.

“This house is yours, no ministers are above you. They do not have the power.

“But I see a minister doing as he wishes, putting up notices. How can this be? He has to discuss it with the speaker first,” he said when addressing Speaker Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof.

He called for the notices to be retracted and signed by Ariff first.

“Speaker, you are our boss, not the ministers. Please inform them that they do not have the power to put up whatever notices they want,” he added.

His statement was supported by Bung Moktar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan).

Ariff then said he would look into the matter.

Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad had said the government was committed to ensuring that Parliament remains a smoke-free zone.

Tuesday, the first day of enforcement of the ban on smoking in the Parliament building, saw an MP and seven others fined for breaking the rule.

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