Main pic caption: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is on a one-day visit to Cambodia today on the invitation of his counterpart Hun Sen (Pic credit: Anwar’s Facebook)
PERIKATAN Nasional (PN) MPs have been reminded not to skip but to attend en masse the Prime Minister’s question and answer session (PMQ) tomorrow (March 28) after the opposition camp chastised Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s recent three-day official visit to Saudi Arabia as both a failure and wastage.
Ticking off the opposition block, the Prime Minister’s senior political secretary Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin said it is compulsory for all PN’s key leaders to attend to hear straight from the horse’s mouth “complete answers” to their impending queries.
“The Opposition and their supporters both fussed over and politicised PM Anwar’s visit to Saudi Arabia,” Shamsul penned on his Twitter account yesterday (March 26).
“My advice (to all PN supporters) is not to only express your grouses outside but instead be daring enough to get your party leadership to pose your questions directly in Parliament during the Q&A session with the PM without chickening out.”
The former Hang Tuah Jaya MP also included a video clip of him questioning several key PN leaders who often did not attend the PMQ session slated at 10am every Tuesday, hence questions for the PM were often asked by government MPs.
“For example, previously there was no PM who was willing to spend 30 minutes in Parliament over a Q&A session to answer any issue. But we see that the opposition is not keen to ask questions in the Malaysian Parliament,” lamented Shamsul.
“Where was the Opposition leader (Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin) when the PM answered questions on Tuesdays (previously)? Where is Pagoh (Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin)? Where is Marang (Tan Sri Hadi Awang)? Where is the PN leader who is supposedly outspoken in attacking the unity government?”
He added: “But when the PM was in the Dewan Rakyat they were not in the front row. That to me is hypocrisy of the highest level.”
In fact, the Community Communication Department (J-KOM) director-general Datuk Mohammad Agus Yusoff had on yesterday (March 26) denied that Anwar’s maiden visit to Saudi Arabia failed because he did not meet King Salman Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince-cum-PM Mohammed bin Salman nor was not brought into the Kaaba.
He explained that the leadership of Saudi Arabia has requested that the PM’s three-day visit be extended for two more days to hold a four-point meeting with the leadership of the monarchy. This is because the Saudi King and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had altered their schedule ahead of Ramadan.
However, Anwar had to decline because of his one-day official visit to Cambodia today followed by a courtesy call on Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Qiang next. – March 27, 2023