What Your MPs Do In Parliamentary Debates

What's Your MPs Doing

Rakyat should know what their MPs are doing in Parliament. Todays Sunday Star reported on the MPs deliberation on sexy remarks that sparks the battle of the sexes.

Other than these sexy remarks, home making, husband and wife issues, polygamy, I don't know why our MPs seems not concern over the various other problems like unemployment, economic issues, inflation, problems of our schools in teaching English, Rule of Law, etc. They are spending time in triivial issues when we have national priorities to manage.

Lets read what they are talking about:

SundayStar, Page 20, Nation, April 3, 2005

IT WAS the second week of the debate on the royal address and MPs were trying hard to get the attention of the Chair to be allowed to speak.

Those who got the opportunity spoke on issues ranging from local interests to international matters.

However, the informative but calm week ended in a battle of the sexes.

It all started when Wong Nai Chee (BN – Kota Melaka), late on Wednesday evening, spoke on the rising number of divorce cases in the country.

Wong, a divorce lawyer by profession, said women were now more financially independent than in the old days.

Being more financially independent, they now were able to “move on,” he said.

At this point, Fong Po Kuan (DAP – Batu Gajah) interrupted Wong to ask if he was implying that women stayed in marriages nowadays for financial reasons and asked if he was discriminating against the fairer sex.

Wong replied that he was only stating the trend these days and comparing it with the old days.

Datuk Badruddin Amiruldin (BN – Jerai) then stood up to seek clarification from Wong.

“Which type of man will last with someone like the Batu Gajah MP?” he asked.

Fong immediately stood up to protest and demanded that the Jerai MP retract his statement.

A heated argument ensued and the House was in uproar as both Barisan and Opposition MPs hurled words and shouted at one another.

The next day, Fong asked for a ruling from Speaker Tan Sri Ramli Ngah Talib on the matter before allowing Wong to proceed with his debate.

When Ramli asked Badruddin if he would apologise, the Jerai MP said he had not intended to attack Fong’s character with his remarks.

However, when Fong insisted that he apologised, Badruddin conceded, saying that he was sorry if the Batu Gajah MP was offended.

Discussion on the gender issue continued when Tan Lian Hoe (BN – Bukit Gantang) debated on matters concerning women, saying that men liked to blame women for family crises.

She said men should play their role in building a happy family.

Her remarks drew immediate response from the male MPs, several of whom got up to interrupt.

The chance to clarify, however, went to Datuk Abdul Ghapur Salleh (BN – Kalabakan) who said Tan had made a hasty allegation against men in general.

“Surely you mean some men, and not all men,” he pointed out.

She also said that during Prophet Muhammad’s days, men practised polygamy in order to protect widows who had lost their husbands in the war.

“How many men today want to marry widows? They always look for young and beautiful girls,” she said.

Her remarks drew even more reaction from her male counterparts, with many getting up to seek clarification.

Baharum Mohamed (BN – Sekijang) said it was not fair for Tan to blame only one party, pointing out that there were more women than men in Malaysia.

“Is it not good that even older women get to marry later on?” he asked.

Tan stressed on the importance of love in a marriage and urged men to stay faithful to one spouse.

Several other MPs taunted Tan with more questions but she stood steady and warned that women would rather stay single than marry an unfaithful man.

Her comments continued to spark discussions at the lobby and canteen.

One remark in particular stood out: “Ramainya yang makan cili (There are so many who have eaten chilli).”