Pakatan MPs boycott parliament briefing
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia,however, was unperturbed saying it was their right to boycott the session.
G Vinod, FMT
Eighty eight out of the 89 Pakatan Rakyat MPs boycotted the briefing session at the Parliament today.
The only parliamentarian from the opposition present today was Bakri MP, Er Teck Hwa.
However, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia was unfazed by the boycott.
“As far as I’m concerned, they have their reasons. We practice democracy.
“Those who come, come and those who don’t come, don’t come,” said Pandikar at a press conference.
However, the Speaker cautioned Pakatan MPs from boycotting the swearing in ceremony.
Pandikar said that those who boycott the swearing in session scheduled on June 24 would render themselves unable to perform their duties as MPs.
“And your appointment will lapse if you don’t swear in within six months time,” he said.
Recently, Pakatan leaders announced that it would boycott the parliamentary briefing session to protest against the electoral irregularities in the recent polls.
Lawyer-activist Haris Ibrahim even suggested Pakatan MPs to boycott the swearing in ceremony but PAS and DAP had rejected the notion.
While Pandikar was lenient in his comment against Pakatan for its boycott, several Umno MPs were more vocal on the matter.
Kubang Pasu MP Johari Baharum said that Pakatan leaders were nothing short of disrespecting voters by their boycott.
“People have made their choice. They should respect the rakyat’s mandate,” he said.
