YOURSAY | ‘He scandalises his office by offering to resign like a schoolboy bereft of personal dignity.’

Pandikar not-so Amin and not-so Mulia


 

 

Pandikar rubbishes Pua’s claim on standing orders

yrsaypandi Malaccan: House speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia in his arrogance fancies himself as the sole arbiter of common sense. MPs and the populace can read for themselves what the parliamentary standing orders say.

Even a speaker cannot say night is day by exercising his interpretive discretion. Unjust use of powers does not make injustice right.

What Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua has asserted is the same as any ordinary and unbiased reading of the standing orders and the exercise of fair reasoning by any common man.

Pandikar’s ruling is a farce. Pandikar by his assertions erode the integrity of Parliament and hacks at the foundations of democracy that his position as speaker is supposed to defend and epitomise.

He scandalises his office by offering to resign like a schoolboy bereft of personal dignity and respect for his own office. If he cannot command the respect of the MPs by fair means, he should indeed resign his position.

Pandikar’s earlier hindrance to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was already an act of gross bias for his own party, rendering him unfit to continue as the speaker.

SusahKes: Mr Speaker, are you saying that:

1. You are the ultimate authority in interpreting parliamentary rules? That would place you above everybody else in the country when it comes to the highest decision-making authority in this country.

If that is the case, why do I need an MP to represent my interest as a voter? You are inferring that an MP’s role is useless, since he isn’t allowed to raise important issues in Parliament under your watch.

2. Why does it seem that more and more, your “interpretations” of the standing orders, is seen to be appeasing the BN government, and not so much out of concern for fair proceeding?

3. What can we do – as taxpayers and voters – if we adjudged the speaker to be biased in his dealings? Is there a privilege committee where an MP could subject him to a hearing?

I know, I know, I’m living in la-la land if I happen to think that in Bolehland, BN-friendly authorities could be subjected to any scrutiny. But at least you, Mr Speaker, will know the vexation that you perpetuate inside of us.

Mojo Jojo: Wait, Pandikar not-so Amin and not-so Mulia, were you elected by the people to Parliament? Are you an MP?

The last time I checked, you were trussed upon your altar by a bunch of people running the country into the realm beneath Tartarus.

Also, don’t make it sound like you are a god in standing orders, while others are pre-nursery students hopelessly uninformed about parliamentary rules and proceedings.

Remember that you are an expandable and replaceable speaker for parliament, and not some almighty parliamentary deity. Anyone can do what you do.

Finally, look at your face in the mirror and repeat “I am not a god” umpteen times until you purge your god complex from your thick skull.

Quigonbond: Pandikar, you may be elected (and perhaps that too is questionable), but you’re not god. Your rulings are arbitrary, and contrary to your delusion of protecting parliamentary democracy, you are actually repressing it.

If you don’t want Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua to debate because PM Najib Razak is afraid of the truth, just say so, instead of using the standing orders as a pretext to gag him.

You need to establish evidence first that Pua is using confidential information from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hearing and not public information. If you can’t prove that, don’t summarily make this kind of gag decision.

And what is there to gag? The news is already out there. Your discretion is not to be exercised at your whim. You only look like a fool.

Mushiro: They are bent on stopping further damage to the 1MDB circus and the speaker has jumped onto the bandwagon. This will only make things worse.

Hamzah Paiman: What has happened to you, Pandikar? You were alright for a while and suddenly you have begun to act like a villain.

Remember whatever you do today is going to affect the future generations, including your children and your grandchildren. Even former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad is realising his folly, but it’s a little too late for him.

Don’t make the same mistake by blindly following your political masters. That’s my advice to you. Spare a thought for the nation, your children and grandchildren.

Armageddon: Rule number 1: The speaker is always right. Rule number 2: If the speaker is wrong, refer to rule number 1.

Pahatian: Pua, just forget about the debate. Concentrate more on exposing these scums the proper way and in a way they can’t wriggle their way out. A debate is just a debate and nothing will come out of it.

Please don’t let yourself be removed from PAC or be suspended from Parliament. This is what these goons are trying to do.

Vijay47: Pardon my renowned ignorance, Pandikar, but a few questions. You claim to be the sole interpreter of standing orders, but what is the specific order under which you demand that Pua cease and desist?

Since his 10 questions are based on are already in the public domain, could he not claim that no reliance was made on his official PAC role? You know, that goose-gander sauce thingy?

You intend to resign but Pua must. How cute. Again, under what order must he? Does Parliament offer you unbridled powers, like perhaps Shah Jahan had? I digress, but he at least built the Taj Mahal.

By the way, Pandikar, a character in Lewis Carroll’s ‘Through The Looking Glass’ says “When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean – neither more nor less.”

I suppose the same thing applies to your stand on interpreting Parliament’s standing orders. Oh, I forgot – the character is Humpty Dumpty.

 


 

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