THE story of Parliament members playing truant in the august house of the Dewan Rakyat is no longer news.

This culture, however, continues to reflect on the state of apathy among the leaders we elect, which is not encouraging considering the many challenges Malaysia is already facing. 

In a video by AstroAwani, Yang di-Pertua Dewan Rakyat Tan Sri Johari Abdul stated that Parliament members who fail to attend sessions at the Dewan Rakyat for an indefinite period of time may lose their allowance the moment the Parliament act PSA comes into force.

Additionally, MPs who are absent for more than six months in a row without a valid reason may lose their seat.

Johari added that this may be presented at the end of the third Dewan Rakyat conference.  However, he said so far no MPs have lost their seats due to this reason. 

The video has so far garnered responses from netizens who either overwhelmingly supported the new ruling or suggested something heavier to punish the errant MPs. 

Netizen @SuperLim1 hilariously drew parallels between the truancy of the MPs to school children, stating that these leaders may become bad examples for the kids who are searching for role models.

If in the good old days students were canned in front of school assemblies for truancy, perhaps something similar may be brought to bear upon MPs whose absence exacts a heavier weight upon the welfare of our great nation.

Johari’s suggestions were reinforcements from his previous statement in November last year.

In an effort to curb truancy, he stated that the names of MPs found to be absent from Parliamentary sittings will be deliberately displayed on the Dewan Rakyat website so constituents could be well informed. 

He reiterated that MPs are chosen by the people to attend the Parliament. For a better picture, the Parliament is unable to function effectively if lawmakers do not attend the sessions to debate and scrutinise the legislations.

The hilarious comparison between truant MPs and school children does strike a chord although the former are supposedly representatives in the highest level of the public sphere. 

Perhaps they are “young at heart” and this may bode well for their political careers since they will need all the necessary communication skills to relate to the Gen Z who are approaching voting age.

But on a more serious footing, MPs who put their interests ahead of the people should diverge into the many other careers that allow them to indulge in their self interest without inhibition. - Aug 8, 2024 

https://focusmalaysia.my/mps-who-play-truant-in-dewan-rakyat-may-lose-their-seats-or-allowance/