Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul said this was among the improvements that can be implemented to boost the attendance of MPs during Dewan Rakyat sittings as they have responsibilities and duties towards the parliamentary constituency and constituents they represent.

He said he would discuss the suggestion with a parliamentary committee that includes MPs from both the government and opposition blocs.

“We have a committee, so I can’t just give the order. In the committee, we have backbenchers and opposition MPs. We will discuss this and then decide when it should begin.

“It’s best to do this as soon as possible, maybe at the upcoming sitting.

“This is among the improvements we’re looking at as it will give voters the opportunity to find out which MPs are absent,” he said after officiating the 18th Asean Scouts Association for Regional Cooperation meeting here today.

Johari also said he understood that MPs had many duties. Some of them were unable to attend Dewan Rakyat sittings as they needed to be present for meetings at other locations and some had duties abroad.

He said he had advised MPs to inform him or the Dewan Rakyat secretariat of their absence if they were unable to attend.

“We do monitor MPs who are absent often or deliberately although I have no power to take any action against them.

‘Whichever MP who is absent with reason can inform the speaker on duty. At least, we won’t consider them playing truant.”

He said absenteeism was not that serious as the majority of MPs attended Parliament regularly.