Parliament next week should only debate and pass a contingency finance bill to authorise government expenditures for first half of next year and defer all other business to a properly-called meeting requiring 28-day notice

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Media Conference Statement
by Lim Kit Siang 

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They are:
 

1.  Doa
2.  Proklamasi memanggil Parlimen bermesyuarat
3.  Pemilihan Tuan Yang di Pertua
4.  Tuan Yang di Pertua mengankat sumpah
5.  Ahli-Ahli Mesyuarat mengangkat sumpah
6.  Usul Menyambung Mesyuarat
7.  Usul melantik dua (2) orang Timbalan Yang di Pertua
8.  Usul melantik Ahli-ahli Jawatankuasa Pemilih
9.  Usul melantik Pengerusi dan Naib Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Kira-kira Wang Negara
10.  Bacaan Kali Pertama Rang Undang-undang yang berikut, iaitu:
i.  Rang Undang-undang Perbekalan 2000
ii.  Rang Undang-undang Kumpulan Wang Disatukan (Perbelanjaan Masuk Akaun)
iii.  Rang Undang-undang Perbekalan Tambahan (1999) (No.2) 1999
iv.  Rang Undang-undang Cukai Pendapatan (Pindaan) (No.2) 1999
v.  Rang Undang-undang Cukai Jualan (Pindaan) 1999
vi.  Rang Undang-undang Institut Teknologi MARA (Pindaan) 1999
11.  Bacaan Kali Kedua dan Ketiga Rang Undang-undang Kumpulan Wang Disatukan (Perbelanjaan Masuk Akaun) 1999 dan Pertimbangan Usul Mengenai Anggaran Perbelanjaan Pembangunan Sementara 2000
12.  Bacaan Kali Kedua dan Ketiga Rang Undang-undang Perbekalan Tambahan (1999)(No.2)1999
13.  Bacaan Kali Kedua dan Ketiga Rang Undang-undang Cukai Pendapatan (Pindaan)(No.2) 1999
14.  Bacaan Kali Kedua dan Ketiga Rang Undang-undang Cukai Jualan (Pindaan) 1999

If the illegal parliamentary notice and unconstitutional royal proclamation summoning Parliament to meet on Monday before the Cabinet had been formed is regularised with the issue of  a new royal proclamation and  a new parliamentary notice, the first  day of the meeting of Parliament after a general election cannot only deal with five of the 14 items in the  notice.

The Dewan Rakyat Standing Order (1) is very clear on this, as it states:
 

"1. On the first day of the meeting of the House after a general election, members having assembled at the time and place duly appointed and being seated in accordance with the provisions of Standing Order 2, the Setiausaha shall read the Proclamation of the Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di Pertuan Agong by which the meeting was summoned, and thereafter the Order of Business on such day shall be -

(a)  the election of Tuan Yang di Pertua;
(b)  the taking and subscribing by Tuan Yang di Pertua of the Oath in the form set out in the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution;
(c)  the taking and subscribing by all members present to the Oath in the form set in the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution,
and on the conclusion of such business the house shall stand adjourned to the date and time fixed by the Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di Pertuan Agong for the declaration of the causes of summoning a Parliament".

Thus it is clear that after the election of the Speaker and the oath-taking by the 193 new MPs,  "the house shall stand adjourned" until summoned again by the Yang di Pertuan Agong.

Item No.6 "Usul menyambung Mesyuarat" is most improper, unparliamentary and a contempt of the Yang di Pertuan Agong, as Parliament is being asked to usurp the Yang di Pertuan Agong’s powers and privileges to be the sole authority to summon Parliament.

I appreciate there is an urgent need for an emergency meeting of Parliament to pass a contingency finance bill to authorise the government expenditures for the first half of next year involving some RM30 billion, as the government would otherwise grind to a halt from 1st January 2000 as the 2,000 Budget will not be passed by the end of the year.

The Barisan Alternative will co-operate with the Barisan Nasional government to resolve this emergency problem, which is the  sole creation of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad in his irresponsible timing of the last general election  but the resolution must be in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and not by flouting the Constitution and breaking laws.

The solution will be for the issue of another royal proclamation to  requisition an emergency meeting of Parliament from December 21 onwards to deal with one specific business - the contingency finance bill to authorise government expenditures for the first half of next year.   At least six days should be set aside for the debate on the contingency finance bill.

All other parliamentary business such as  election of  two Deputy Speakers, the appointment of members of the Selection Committee, the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, as well as government bills and private motions  should be deferred until the first working meeting of Parliament - after the requisite 28-day notice is given to all MPs before any parliamentary meeting.

If the Barisan Nasional government insists on proceeding with its unconstitutionally-summoned Parliamentary meeting on Monday, and to deal with the 14 items of business as set out in the parliamentary notice, then the new Parliament would be breaking provision after provision in the Constitution, the Parliamentary Standing Orders and all accepted parliamentary traditions and conventions.

This cannot be a good start for the tenth Parliament in entering the new millennium.

(17/12/99)