Nazri: Opposition like ‘headless chicken’

By Zuhrin Azam Ahmad, The Star

PUTRAJAYA: The Opposition has no leader in Parliament simply because they cannot accept each other, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz.

He said they could have easily picked seasoned MPs such as Lim Kit Siang or Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang to lead them.

“However, they just could not reach a consensus on who should lead them (in Parliament) because they are not really together.

“The DAP won’t accept a PAS representative and I think PAS too, cannot see a DAP MP leading the Opposition bench.

“They are headless chicken,” he told newsmen after meeting 229 Public Services Department-sponsored Japan-bound students here Thursday.

Nazri, however, expected the current Parliament session to be lively even though the Opposition were headless.

He said the Government backbenchers were capable of bringing up relevant issues and participates in the debate with facts.

“It is business as usual,” he said.

Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was suspended for six months in December for linking Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s 1Malaysia concept to the One Israel campaign.

The Permatang Pauh MP and PKR adviser had said that the Government’s public relations consultancy – Apco Worldwide – had masterminded both the initiatives.

Three other Pakatan MPs – Karpal Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor), Azmin Ali (PKR-Gombak) and R. Sivarasa (PKR-Subang) – were also suspended for alleged contempt of the House when they revealed confidential proceedings of the Rights and Privileges Committee’s investigations into Anwar’s accusations.’

They were each handed a six-month suspension.

Earlier this month, Lim, who is also Ipoh Timur MP, said in his blog that Anwar would remain as the Opposition leader even if PKR MPs numbered less than DAP’s 28.