The normally rambunctious Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat took an unprecedented turn today, hitting Question No 16 in less than 90 minutes - not because of expediency or orderly conduct but the absence of nine MPs from both sides of the House.

NONE Presiding deputy speaker Wan Junaidi Jaafar ( left) joked, saying "I have often heard of Monday blues, but hardly Tuesday blues".

Despite more than 50 questions listed for oral answers for each day that Parliament sits, the Lower House often attends to less than 10 questions a day as arguments over ministerial answers often take up most of the 90-minute Question Time.

The nine absent MPs had filed in written questions for oral answers in the House and their presence is required for the answers to be read out by the respective ministers or deputy ministers.

Their absence meant that the oral answers can't be read.

The absentees today were:

  •     Alexander Nanta Linggi (BN-Kapit)
  •     Teo Nie Ching (DAP-Serdang)
  •     Mohd Hayati Othman (PAS-Pendang)
  •     Sapawi Ahmad (BN-Sipitang)
  •     Chong Chien Jen (DAP-Bandar Kuching)
  •     Shamsul Anuar Nasarah (BN-Lenggong)
  •     Wilfred Mojilip Bumburing (Independent-Tuaran)
  •     Billy Abit Joo (BN-Hulu Rajang)
  •     Mujahid Yusof Rawa (PAS-Parit Buntar)

Attendance in Parliament has been a point of contention for watchdog groups monitoring both Houses as MPs and senators have been accused of being tardy or playing truant.

The issue is made worse by the fact that the Dewan Rakyat quorum still stands at 26 MPs in the House, the figure calculated from half the initial 52 seats it started out with.

Despite the number of parliamentary seats now being 222, the quorum has still seen no increase to 111, half the number of MPs.

The low quorum is being blamed on the lack of initiative among MPs to turn up for parliamentary debate.

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