KANGAR: MPs have been warned from commenting on issues on social media despite being absent from Dewan Rakyat debates on those issues.

Speaker Tan Sri Dr Johari Abdul said that such behaviour was misleading the public as it gave the impression that these MPs were present during the discussions and debates.

"They are under close watch," he told Bernama, adding that such behaviour would not be tolerated.

Johari was speaking to reporters after his working visit to the Perlis state legislative assembly complex here on Thursday (Aug 8).

The Speaker said that there have been many positive changes in Parliament, including sessions where ministers provide briefings on current issues during Dewan Rakyat sittings, even if there were no questions from MPs.

"I try to ensure that MPs do not talk about politics but focus on substance, so the time available can be used for ministerial briefings. Sometimes, ministers will not address current issues unless there are questions. Ultimately, the public should be informed, but often they are not,” he said.

"However, if we provide briefing sessions for ministers to address current issues without questions from MPs, it helps.

"For instance, I recently allowed the Second Finance Minister to explain the purchase of Malaysia Airport shares. We provided an hour for the minister’s briefing, not just ten minutes,” he said.

Meanwhile, Johari said that state governments have been advised to include a special hospitality allocation for state assembly speakers in their respective budgets to ensure activities with the public proceed smoothly.

He said the special allocation would be among the topics discussed at the Parliament and State Legislative Assembly Speakers' Conference to be held in Sarawak in September.

"If possible, the state governments should allocate a small amount for this... my suggestion is to include it in the state budget," he said.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/08/08/039i039m-watching-you039-speaker-warns-absent-mps-misleading-public-on-social-media