Dr Wee: Ministers and their deputies must make Parliament a priority

PETALING JAYA: According to Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong, ministers and their deputies must prioritize attending Parliament and cannot be away from Kuala Lumpur. Dr Wee, who is the Ayer Hitam MP and MCA president, stated that this requirement has been a long-standing Cabinet decision. He explained that when the minister answers verbal questions and concludes debates, the deputy minister should be present in the House to pay attention and support the minister in case of an emergency. He made these comments on Facebook in response to a netizen who pointed out the absence of Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa and her deputy Lukanisman Awang Sauni in Parliament.

Dr Wee clarified that he recognized the Health Minister’s health issues and wished her a speedy recovery. However, he raised two concerns. Firstly, he questioned why the deputy minister was conducting a program in Johor Baru. He suggested that in such cases, the ministry secretary-general or director-general could attend the function instead. Secondly, he questioned whether the Cabinet had revised the decision that allowed deputy ministers to be out of town when Parliament is in session. He emphasized that throughout various administrations, the deputy minister’s presence in Parliament has been mandatory, regardless of any excuse.

Dr Wee further emphasized that these instances would invite criticism from the Opposition bloc, as no one was available to answer oral questions on the ministry’s behalf. He cited a similar situation that occurred the previous day, involving the Economy Ministry. He acknowledged that Minister Rafizi Ramli was recovering from a heart procedure but pointed out that the deputy minister was also absent in Parliament, leaving the Local Government Development Minister to respond on their behalf.

Dr Wee stressed the need to respect the parliamentary institution and felt obligated to address and resolve any shortcomings.