Breaking from convention, none of the Barisan Nasional (BN) backbenchers took part in the debate of an opposition emergency motion today on the eight-year extension of the Plus's North-South Expressway (NSE) concession.

The Dewan Rakyat allotted one hour to debate on the motion submitted by Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timor) which questioned why the extension was secretly signed without parliamentary consultation and consent.

Under parliamentary convention, BN and opposition parliamentarians are usually given an equal amount of time to debate the matter, and this is followed by the ministerial reply.

This afternoon, however, after Lim and Salahuddin Ayub (PAS-Kubang Kerian) completed their debate, Speaker Ramli Ngah Talib called on Deputy Works Minister Mohd Zin Mohamed to reply to the questions raised.

This led opposition MPs to ask what had happened to the backbenchers who had been outspoken during the last sitting in opposing the government's move to allow Plus to increase the toll rate by 10 percent .

Surprised by their silence, an opposition MP said the backbenchers had probably been "taught a lesson" for being previously vocal in objecting to the decision.

'Rubber stamp'

At a press conference later, Mohd Zin said he did not want to be drawn into speculation that the backbenchers' silence was due to their disagreement with the eight-year extension.

"I do not want to speculate, reporters can speculate as they like," said the deputy minister.

He said the extension, which is part of the RM1.37 billion upgrade package, has been provided under the original agreement between the government and Plus.

"Why should we need a parliamentary consultation since there are no changes to the original agreement? There have been two supplementary agreements (extensions) before. The government did not secretly sign the extension," he added.

Earlier in the House, Mohd Zin provided statistics pertaining to the Plus highway operations and maintenance.

In his debate, Lim described the lack of consultation on the extension made Parliament "nothing more than a rubber-stamp for the works ministry and government for all its privatisation contracts and extensions".

He said the extension also led to a blow for the credibility of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's administration and pledge to be more accountable, transparent and consultative.

"The government has not only failed to get the one-sided NSE concession reviewed and readjusted, but has allowed another unfair extension of the concession without any public input, discussion or consultation," Lim added.