PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail claimed that opposition leaders have not been taking advantage of the prime minister’s question time (PMQT) in Parliament.

“Since our party president became prime minister, the PMQT has been ongoing. Not once has the opposition leader faced off against Anwar (in the Dewan Rakyat).

“Not once have Pagoh (Muhyiddin Yassin) and Marang (Abdul Hadi Awang) gone head-to-head against the prime minister,” he said in his winding-up speech at PKR’s special congress here today.

Saifuddin, who is also home minister, said Parliament is a platform for checks and balances but opposition members have been notably absent.

“Outside, you (opposition leaders) act like heroes in fighting for the Malays and Islam, but in Parliament, you’re not willing to face off (against Anwar) like true men,” he said.

Separately, Saifuddin said he was determined to remove children from immigration depots nationwide, adding that it did not make sense to keep them there.

“I will endeavour, through whatever means, to ensure they are not at immigration depots,” he said, adding that this was “low-hanging fruit” for the government to showcase its Malaysia Madani concept.

On March 2, Saifuddin revealed that 1,179 children of undocumented migrants were being held at immigration depots nationwide as of Jan 29.

He said the children were among the 15,845 undocumented migrants detained at the depots.

Saifuddin said, wherever legally possible, he would consider allowing prisoners serving a sentence of three years or below to undergo parole, be conditionally released or held under home detention.

“This is because the prison is not a place for punishment but for correction. We want them to be integrated back into society quickly.”