Barisan Nasional (BN) parliamentarians do not have the liberty to vote based on conscience on the motions tabled in Parliament, said Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

He said government parliamentarians must follow the party rules and discipline.

"All party members have rules must be understood and followed. Every party member has discipline...there is no leeway or freedom to do as they like," he was quoted as saying by Bernama.

The premier was speaking to reporters after chairing the Umno supreme council meeting yesterday. Malaysiakini was barred from covering the meeting.

Abdullah was responding to the Backbenchers Club (BBC) which yesterday demanded for greater discretionary powers to vote on motions tabled in Parliament.

Asked why BN did not follow the approach of some developed nations where parties give greater freedom to their members, he said BN's brand of democracy has proven to be successful.

"We have our own democracy, we survive based on what we have practiced before this and we will continue to practice this," he added.

Shahrir's resignation

As for Shahrir Abdul Samad's resignation as BBC chief, Abdullah said the matter is considered resolved.

"We were planning to drop him from the post (for breaking rank) but he anticipated it and stepped down and I believe he won't be reelected," he added.

The premier also said Shahrir - who is the Johor Bharu MP - would not face any disciplinary action since he had resigned.

He quit as BBC head last week when he failed to get other backbenchers to support a motion tabled by the opposition.

His resignation was later accepted by Deputy Prime Minister and BN whip Najib Abdul Razak on the ground that he had broke rank.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz had also said it was a rule that government MPs do not support opposition motions.

The motion in question was tabled by Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang who wanted to refer a news report which claimed that a MP had tried to interfere in the duties of the Melaka Customs Department to the Parliamentary Privileges Committee.

The MP, later identified as Mohd Said Yusof (BN-Jasin), had asked the department to 'close one eye' regarding a case involving a seized consignment of illegal timber.

Commenting on this, the prime minister said the MP had acted inappropriately although he claimed that he was merely trying to help a bumiputera company.

However, Abdullah did not mention if any action would be taken against him.