AS THE leader of the party with the single-most seats in the Dewan Rakyat, one would think that Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang and his PAS cohorts would have plenty to say when content of the recently unveiled Budget 2025 was open for debate in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday (Oct 21).
But the PAS head honcho seemed to be treating the day like a kenduri kahwin (wedding ceremony) outing, observed social media influencer Adam Yusuf (@adamyusuf88), in a reaction to Hadi’s short clip depicting his Dewan Rakyat presence on the X platform
The Madani government backer went on to wryly remarked that all the 77-year-old Marang MP seemed to do was “smile, shake hands and pose for selfies” with fellow Perikatan Nasional (PN) MPs and adoring fans
Adam’s post was accompanied by a short clip highlighting Hadi’s so-called social visit to the Dewan Rakyat, pointedly saying there was no input on Budget 2025 nor was there any form of checks and balances as an opposition bloc.
Dia buat parlimen tu macam pergi majlis kenduri kahwin.
Salam², sengih, makan dan balik.
Apa manfaat pun takde.
Bahasa pasal isu budjet takde. ❌
Beri idea semak dan imbang takde.❌Selfie ✅
Salam ✅
Sengih ✅
Dapat gaji ✅Pertikai PMX pasal gajipic.twitter.com/YhvRS9metp
— Adam Yusuf (@adamyusuf88) October 22, 2024
More than a few sarcastically remarked that the seven-term Marang MP was being feted since he is rarely sighted in parliament.
Others were more forthright in their views about the ethics of MPs who took a wage they did not deserve.
Some openly hit out that such errant and absentee parliamentarians should be docked their allowances.
Such sentiments were also echoed by Pakatan Harapan (PH) supporter Amer Hamzah (@amer7211) who was astonished that PAS supporters are happy with such performances from their elected representatives.
Datang Parlimen.
Berjalan.
Selfi.
Bersalam-salaman sesama sendiri.Pengisian? Takde.
Semak? Takde.
Imbang? Takde.Walaun terkagum-kagum dengan konten kosong ini. 😂 https://t.co/YFdEuXCVdQ
— Amer Hamzah (@amer7211) October 21, 2024
Amer’s post was greeted by comments lamenting what a weak opposition that was in place and its inability to carry out the supposedly check and balance role.
The poster further reinforced his point about the weak opposition whose leaders did not see fit to attend even the Prime Minister’s Question Time (PMQT).
Sesi PMQT PMX @anwaribrahim.
Tiada lagi top 3 pembangkang dalam dewan. @dhzhamzah Ketua Pembangkang@MuhyiddinYassin Pengerusi PN@abdulhadiawang Presiden PAS
Jelas PN adalah sebuah organisasi yang dipimpin oleh mereka2 yang lemah dan pengecut untuk berhadapan secara muka… pic.twitter.com/9ZNv7fuVQ1
— Amer Hamzah (@amer7211) October 22, 2024
Another commenter reckoned that this was symptomatic of people in awe of their own selves.
Although the posters and many of the commenters were clearly pro-Madani supporters, the point is that it has become almost a second nature for the Opposition top brass to go missing.
For a functioning democracy, there must be a strong opposition to fill the check and balance role. If the Budget 2025 debate and PMQT are met with such disregard, it is a damning indictment of the state of affairs in the Dewan Rakyat at the moment.
One comment that was dripping with sarcasm summed up what many feel about Hadi’s grand show on the day the floor was open for Budget 2005 debate: “Congratulations, Marang folks”. – Oct 24, 2024
