Kit Siang challenges speaker's ruling on Sabah motion
Published: May 23, 2008 11:22 AM | Updated: May 23, 2008 12:07 PM
Veteran opposition parliamentarian Lim Kit Siang has tried to pull the rug on deputy speaker Ronald Kiandee for disallowing him to raise the controversial issue of illegal immigrants in Sabah.
Veteran opposition parliamentarian Lim Kit Siang has tried to pull the rug on deputy speaker Ronald Kiandee for disallowing him to raise the controversial issue of illegal immigrants in Sabah.
Lim has today informed House speaker Pandikar Amin that he intends to move a motion to review Kiandee’s controversial decision yesterday.
The DAP leader and MP for Ipoh Timur had wanted to move an amendment to the motion of thanks for the royal address in order to establish a royal commission into the hot button issue of Sabah’s illegal immigrants.
In dismissing Lim’s motion, Kiandee said that it would be disrespectful to the King by amending the motion of thanks.
“It is most inappropriate to table this motion now because it is rude to say thank you but with a condition at the same time,” explained Kiandee before ending yesterday’s debate.
However, Lim argued there had been previous occasions in which such motions of thanks were amended.
“Kiandee cannot be more wrong when he said that it was not proper and ‘tidak sopan’ to amend the motion of thanks,” he said.
Lim argued such amendments are a “universally accepted parliamentary practice” as the motion of thanks “is a debate on the government's policy for the coming year, allowing for any policy proposal to be raised, whether in speeches or by way of amending motions.”
“Otherwise, there would be no need for the Dewan Rakyat to spend 12 days to debate the royal address, with seven days for debate by MPs and five days for ministers' winding-up, as all that the MPs and ministers should do is to stand up to express thanks to the Yang di Pertuan Agong for the royal address – which could be done in a matter of a few minutes each!”
Lim’s motion to review Kiandee’s decision is expected to be debated in the House next week.
Reduced to a minority in their own state
The motion to debate the illegal immigrants issue, if allowed, would have been an acid test for Sabah backbenchers.
It came in the wake of rumours that some of the 24 of the ruling Barisan Nasional MPs in Sabah would defect to the opposition over their unhappiness on a number of issues including the lack of action in curbing illegal immigrants in the state.
Incidentally, both Kiandee, who is three-term MP for Beluran, and former minister Pandikar are from Sabah.
According to Lim, the 30-year problem has reduced Sabahans into a minority in their own home state.
There has been serious allegations that illegal immigrants from neighbouring Philippines and Indonesia have been given identity cards by the authorities to enable them to vote in elections.
There are conflicting accounts from official and unofficial sources on the exact number of illegal immigrants in the state. Most, however, agree that the number is around 750,000.
The total number of foreigners, including illegal immigrants, in Sabah is estimated at 1.75 million.
As a result, foreigners outnumbered locals in the state, which has a total population of 3.3 million. Most of the working foreigners are employed in the construction and agricultural sectors.
Lim has today informed House speaker Pandikar Amin that he intends to move a motion to review Kiandee’s controversial decision yesterday.The DAP leader and MP for Ipoh Timur had wanted to move an amendment to the motion of thanks for the royal address in order to establish a royal commission into the hot button issue of Sabah’s illegal immigrants.
In dismissing Lim’s motion, Kiandee said that it would be disrespectful to the King by amending the motion of thanks.
“It is most inappropriate to table this motion now because it is rude to say thank you but with a condition at the same time,” explained Kiandee before ending yesterday’s debate.However, Lim argued there had been previous occasions in which such motions of thanks were amended.
“Kiandee cannot be more wrong when he said that it was not proper and ‘tidak sopan’ to amend the motion of thanks,” he said.
Lim argued such amendments are a “universally accepted parliamentary practice” as the motion of thanks “is a debate on the government's policy for the coming year, allowing for any policy proposal to be raised, whether in speeches or by way of amending motions.”
“Otherwise, there would be no need for the Dewan Rakyat to spend 12 days to debate the royal address, with seven days for debate by MPs and five days for ministers' winding-up, as all that the MPs and ministers should do is to stand up to express thanks to the Yang di Pertuan Agong for the royal address – which could be done in a matter of a few minutes each!”
Lim’s motion to review Kiandee’s decision is expected to be debated in the House next week.
Reduced to a minority in their own state
The motion to debate the illegal immigrants issue, if allowed, would have been an acid test for Sabah backbenchers.
It came in the wake of rumours that some of the 24 of the ruling Barisan Nasional MPs in Sabah would defect to the opposition over their unhappiness on a number of issues including the lack of action in curbing illegal immigrants in the state.
Incidentally, both Kiandee, who is three-term MP for Beluran, and former minister Pandikar are from Sabah.
According to Lim, the 30-year problem has reduced Sabahans into a minority in their own home state.There has been serious allegations that illegal immigrants from neighbouring Philippines and Indonesia have been given identity cards by the authorities to enable them to vote in elections.
There are conflicting accounts from official and unofficial sources on the exact number of illegal immigrants in the state. Most, however, agree that the number is around 750,000.
The total number of foreigners, including illegal immigrants, in Sabah is estimated at 1.75 million.
As a result, foreigners outnumbered locals in the state, which has a total population of 3.3 million. Most of the working foreigners are employed in the construction and agricultural sectors.
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