Opposition MPs fume over another lengthy Dewan Rakyat sitting

Opposition MPs became agitated when the Dewan Rakyat sitting was extended past midnight, Wednesday.

It started with Gobind Singh Deo (DAP-Puchong) asking Deputy Speaker Datuk Ismail Mohamed Said to end the sitting as it had gone late into the night.

"Two days ago we had to sit until 2.30am and we still have four more bills to debate even though it is already midnight. I feel it will take until 3 or 4am.

"I want to debate these bills but how to do it when we are not given enough time, everything is a rush, how to have quality debates," he said leading to several of his colleagues to stand up to voice their support.

Many of the MPs who were debating the Malaysian Aviation Commission Bill 2015 then also questioned why the government was in a hurry to table and approve eight of the 11 bills listed in the meeting agenda Wednesday.

G.Manivannan (PKR-Kapar) also demanded to know why the bills could not be debated on Thursday and had to be passed on Wednesday.

Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj (PSM-Sungai Siput) said the haste was an insult to Parliament and made it look like a 'rubber stamp'.

However, the backbenchers defended the extended sitting and asked the opposition MPs to "go home if they could not take the heat".

"We have the basis to debate the bills. If you are lazy go home," said Datuk Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim (BN-Baling).

Tan Sri Annuar Musa (BN-Ketereh) said their behavior was because they were enraged that their (Opposition) leader was no longer around.

The situation calmed down when Deputy Speaker Datuk Ronald Kiandee, who took over from Ismail, stood firm that the day's agenda must be completed as had been agreed earlier.

Earlier, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department had moved a motion that the sitting continue until the Anti-traficking in Persons and Anti-smuggling of Migrants Bill (Amendment) Bill 2015 was settled.

However, the second reading on the Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Bill 2015 and Evidence (Amendment) Bill 2015) were deferred to the next sitting of the Dewan.

On Wednesday, the Security Offences (Special Measures) (Amendment) Bill 2015) was passed by the Dewan.

The other four bills remaining for tonight are the Securities Commission (Amendment) Bill 2015; Capital Markets and Services (Amendment) Bill 2015; Retirement Fund (Amendment) Bill 2015; Anti-traficking in Persons and Anti-smuggling of Migrants (Amendment) Bill 2015).