If PM can attend Senate to answer questions, why don’t ministers, asks Wan Junaidi

If PM can attend Senate to answer questions, why don’t ministers, asks Wan Junaidi

The Dewan Negara president ticks of the deputy tourism, arts and culture minister for not providing specific answers to matters raised.

Dewan Negara president Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar asked whether the Senate was considered ‘too lowly’ for ministers to appear for the question-and-answer session. (Bernama pic)
KUALA LUMPUR:
Dewan Negara president Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar today reminded Cabinet members to respect the parliamentary institution by attending question-and-answer sessions for their respective ministries.

He said as the upper house of Parliament, the Senate’s sanctity must be respected, and the presence of ministers is important to clarify matters raised by senators.

“I would like to remind here that if the prime minister and both the deputy prime ministers can attend, why not the ministers?

“Is it because they think this place is too lowly for the ministers? This is the upper house of Parliament,” he said when deputy tourism, arts and culture minister Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan was answering questions in the Dewan Negara today.

Earlier, Amir Ghazali, in his supplementary question, wanted some clarification on the position of the minister Tiong King Sing, whom he claimed had not attended question-and-answer proceedings in the last eight months.

Wan Junaidi also reproached Khairul, whom he said was not providing specific answers to matters raised to the ministry.

“Yang Berhormat (Khairul), you are mostly answering only on tourism products. What is being asked is about the conduct of tourism players and not merely tourism products. I hope the ministry can prepare more satisfactory answers,” he said.

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