KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 — Fahmi Fadzil (PH-Lembah Pantai) said that the Speaker’s ‘no action’ response in relation to Datuk Shabudin Yahya’s (PN-Tasek Gelugor) apparent Budget 2021 bloc vote miscount gives the impression that Parliament doesn’t take the process seriously.
Addressing the Dewan Rakyat today, Fahmi slammed Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun’s reply to his motion seeking Shabudin’s referral to Parliament’s Rights and Privileges Committee. Azhar had said the matter “is no longer something that needs to be expedited”.
Fahmi insisted that he wants Azhar to review the ruling as it reflects negatively on the Dewan Rakyat’s voting process.
“There is a dispute because the basic issue here is in relation to the referral of a member to the Rights and Privileges Committee, as the offence in question involves the voting process in this esteemed House,” he said.
In response, Deputy Speaker Datuk Rashid Hasnon asked Fahmi to write to the Speaker since he disagrees with the latter’s decision.
There was a verbal kerfuffle among federal lawmakers yesterday after it was revealed that one from among them had voted on Budget 2021 the day before despite being absent from the House.
On December 1, Rashid while presiding over the Dewan Rakyat read out a declaration from Azhar that Noor Amin Ahmad (PH-Kangar) had informed him that Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz (BN-Padang Rengas) had been counted as being in favour of the Budget even though he was absent.
“So, for the Finance Ministry vote today, there are 106 MPs agreeing, 95 disagreeing and 19 absent,” Rashid told the Dewan Rakyat before stressing that it did not affect the outcome.
Shabudin, who counted the votes for the supporting side, apologised to the Speaker and insisted that he did not mean to mislead the House.
Instead, Shabudin asserted that it had been an innocent mistake.
“I saw Padang Rengas a few minutes before that, but then I was not sure if Padang Rengas was still there.
“I had no intention of deceiving the Dewan. I have sincerely informed the Speaker of this and apologised,” he said when the Opposition demanded an explanation.