KUCHING, Oct 9 — The frequent absence of MPs during Dewan Rakyat sittings undermines the democratic process and deprives the people of their right to have their voices heard, says Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.

The former parliamentarian, who is now a social activist, also stressed about the voters’ right to know if they had elected the right representatives, and about the MPs being duty-bound to attend the Parliament sessions and carry out their legislative responsibilities.

"Report cards are needed not only to show their (MPs) attendance, but also to determine how many times they have raised questions and issues,” he said in a statement, adding that it is common knowledge that some MPs would be present in Parliament only when their questions are scheduled to come up.

"Soon after that, they leave the Dewan Rakyat and sit at the canteen.

"Many a time, the parliamentary whips have to go to the canteen and urge the MPs to come back to the session to ensure that the quorum is met to pass a Bill.”

He pointed out that regular attendance of MPs would facilitate more effective governance and better decision-making process.

"If they (MPs) consistently skip the sessions, the constituents have the right to know so that they would not waste their votes in the next elections. They (voters) have the right to know and question their elected representatives who fail to attend Parliament session without any justifiable reasons.

"Therefore, it stands to reason for the rules and regulations to be amended to address this situation,” said Lee.

It was recently reported that the Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul was looking into ways to improve the attendance of MPs, including cutting off their allowance if they continue to be absent in Parliament during sessions.

On this, Lee remarked: "The sooner this is done, the better it is for the people and for the nation.” — Borneo Post Online