Ministers should try to be present at Parliament to answer urgent questions pertaining to their respective ministries, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak told reporters today.

"When it comes to important questions, the minister should try to be at Parliament," he said.

He was asked to comment on a suggestion by MPs to make it compulsory for ministers to answer important questions during the question-and-answer session and also to wind up debate on the motion on the Royal address as well as the budget.

The MPs urged the ministers to personally attend to the questions raised by them, instead of relying on deputy ministers and parliamentary secretaries who, they claimed, often failed to deliver satisfactory answers.

The issue of ministers not being present was raised during the winding-up of debate on the motion of thanks on the Royal address. Deputy Finance Minister Tengku Putera Tengku Awang undertook the task.

'Vague' replies

Mohamed Aziz (BN-Sri Gading), who had repeatedly sought explanations while Tengku Putera was winding up the debate, said deputy ministers or parliamentary secretaries usually did not have answers for the questions put forward.

"If this is going to be the case, what am I going to tell the people when I return to my constituency?" he asked.

He added that if he was confused with the "vague" replies and criticised the deputy minister for "reading a script".

The MP suggested that in case the minister is unable to attend the sitting, he or she should be represented by another minister, not the deputy.

According to him, ministers are in the best capacity to provide replies to members of Parliament.

When he failed to answer Mohamed Aziz's question, KS Nijhar (photo)(Subang-BN) asked whether Tengku Putra could provide a written reply instead. The deputy minister did not reply to this either.

Explaining the situation, Tengku Putera said Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is also finance minister, is currently abroad on official duty, while Second Finance Minister Nor Mohamed Yakcop is also away on official matters.