PETALING JAYA: According to non-governmental organization MYMP, Arau MP Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim is deemed as the Dewan Rakyat’s “most controversial” and funniest MP for the current term, as indicated by the Parliament Hansard from December 2022 to June 2023.
During a press conference on September 6th, MyMP founder Lau Chak Onn revealed that the basis for these rankings was the use of the words ‘dewan riuh’ in the Hansard, which signifies ruckuses in the lower house, and the term ‘dewan ketawa’ for instances of laughter.
Conveying that their aim with the data was to make the Handsard more interesting, Lau disclosed that Shahidan was associated with the words “dewan riuh” and “dewan ketawa” on 72 and 25 occasions respectively, during the present sitting of Parliament.
Following closely behind Shahidan in these rankings were Pendang MP Datuk Awang Hashim, Jelutong MP RSN Rayer, and Hulu Langat MP Mohd Sany Hamzan.
Lau also highlighted Shahidan’s impressive attendance record, with the MP attending 99 out of the 103 parliamentary sessions, as well as his participation in asking 57 questions during the 14th Parliament session, which took place between July 2018 and October 2022.
Further analysis of the Hansard data by Lau revealed that RSN Rayer held the position of the “most controversial MP” during the 14th Parliament session, with 531 mentions linked to “dewan riuh”, followed by Shahidan and former Pasir Salak MP Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman in second and third place respectively.
Shahidan also claimed the title of the funniest MP, featuring in 238 mentions associated with “dewan ketawa”.
Additionally, the data from the Hansard unveiled that Umno’s Datuk Seri Mohd Salim Sharif had a perfect attendance record during the 14th Parliament session.
Lau commended both Shahidan and Rayer for their effectiveness and performance in Parliament, considering their attendance and the number of questions they posed.
He stated that this was one of the initiatives taken by MYMP to make the Hansard more enjoyable.
“Most people don’t even know what a Hansard is, and it (Hansard) is so important. If nobody reads them, these guys can get away with anything,” added Lau, emphasizing the crucial role of the public in reading the Hansards and his responsibility as the founder of MyMP to make it engaging.
MyMP, established in 2016, is an initiative that engages volunteers and developers in inputting data about MPs, enhancing public awareness and understanding of their elected representatives.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
