By Tunku Abdul Aziz, MySinChew

A Dewan Rakyat Speaker I happened to know many years ago before Mahathir imposed his will on every facet of the institutional life of the country, with predictable consequences, remarked that the position he occupied was more than a job. It was a sacred, conscious personal commitment to be always scrupulously fair and unbiased. The sole object of ensuring the dignity and sanctity of the House had always to be kept firmly etched in mind. He said he looked upon his country’s parliament as the Temple of Democracy, and that he was its High Priest. He was a person of a scholarly bent, and steeped in the parliamentary tradition and practice of the Mother of Parliament.

I am of an age to remember the succession of men who presided over the Dewan Rakyat, as well as the Dewan Negara. They were men of integrity and refinement, gentlemen all, and no one could have accused any of them of being biased in favour of the ruling party that had appointed them. They, when presiding over the House, were guided solely by the need to uphold the honour and dignity of the House as well as their own. They possessed exemplary personal qualities to begin with, and comparing even the worst among them with the incumbent holder of that high and prestigious office would be invidious. It is totally repugnant and enormously offensive to my sense of what is fair.

His record as Mr. Speaker is a total disgrace and has turned the Parliament of Malaysia into an object of fun and ridicule. He has completely lost the respect of all fair-minded people, and for sheer incompetence and arrogance he typifies the proverbial square peg in a round hole. His is a case of the administration giving in to political expediency when more honest and mature political judgements should have guided the decision on the appointment of the Speaker of the House. My advice to the Speaker who is now reduced to the category of the “walking wounded” due to self-inflicted injury caused by shooting in the foot, and mouth, on every conceivable occasion, is that he should consider seriously stepping down so that the dignity of the House may be restored. He has failed in his duty by all accounts, and should accept that he is a total misfit for a position requiring qualities that he will never acquire in a million years.

To the politically biased, it is all too tempting to blame members of the opposition for reacting robustly to the Speaker’s diabolically provocative and heavy handed “interventions” bordering on intimidation. But that is to ignore the fact that the House is as good as the Speaker. After all, he sets the tone of the House and the standards of parliamentary behaviour. He obviously believes that he is there to please his political masters; another consequence of Mahathir’s onslaught on the all-important doctrine of the separation of powers. The Speaker has become a willing partner and complicit in the not too subtle plan of demolishing the last vestiges of the independence of the legislature. In the process he has fritted away the moral and ethical underpinnings of an ancient institution, first established all those centuries ago in England to protect citizens’ rights. To do his work effectively, he must earn the respect of the members on both sides of the floor by carrying out his duty in strict accordance with the dictates of fairness and equity. That he has blatantly ignored and buried this important principle for good, thus making utter mockery of what is the most important democratic institution of the nation, puts his moral fitness for high office in serious doubt.

READ MORE HERE.

Comments (8)

...
written by Malay Ultraman, January 03, 2011 14:55:24

Speaker Dewan Rakyat position itself is too distinguish.. Unfortunately our speaker is mere a Joker Dewan Rakyat.....

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by capricorn, January 02, 2011 16:01:49

I have watched him over the TV, showing how he controlled the Dewan Rakyat. Heck I think he could not even control a PTA meeting. Such is his quality. But then as far as BN is concerned, he is a friendly Speaker, so that matters. Don't care if it makes the Dewan Rakyat the laughing stock of the world. But to my mind, Tan Sri, I have yet to see a Speaker who is fair. But this current Speaker is not only friendly to BN but he has shit up in his brains, ie why he ranks as the most disgraceful Speaker ever to occupy the Chair.

• 
• +5
• 
• 

...
written by pixieface, January 01, 2011 11:52:32

He was chosen becos he was a lap dog, woof woof and a dungu of the lowest order.
Sabahans would give him the 'bird' middle finger.
pandi car amin, duh !!!!!!!!!!!
Ptui.....................

• 
• +11
• 
• 

...
written by FreeAsian, January 01, 2011 05:02:08

After over 50 years of a sham democracy, the incumbent Speaker must be totally unaware of what his real role should be in the House - that of an impartial adjudicator; this is yet another of Mahathir's ignoble legacy to the people of Malaysia.

• 
• +10
• 
• 

...
written by Motherchell, January 01, 2011 03:46:28

Best wishes to you my dearest Tuanku. May you be blessed with the best of health always!!
Malaysia has hit rock bottom with the kind of circus performers as the Pandikar Ape! Its a tragedy and the people will have to wake up to correct this!! Especially the UMNO Malays!

• 
• +11
• 
• 

...
written by singhkris, January 01, 2011 00:30:35

Tunku, though old, you and I maybe, we will live long enough to see this junk of a human being called Speaker of Parliament, consigned to the dustbin of history with ignobly. It is because that day is just around the corner.

• 
• +13
• 
• 

...
written by emastulen, December 31, 2010 21:03:34

Well said Tunku! This pariah Speaker is like a dog on a leash being pulled in all directions by the ruling party favoring them at every turn. He has no dignity whatsoever for all the unfair treatments he dish out to the opposition just to win favors from BN. He bring shame to all Sabahans and if he have any intergrity left he should step down immediately. BUT THEN MEN LIKE HIM WILL NEVER DO SO FOR THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT DIGNITY NOR SHAME IS!!!!!

• 
• +19
• 
• 

...
written by SoundMan, December 31, 2010 20:14:09

The Speaker has proven what is all true about the Malaysian 'guided democracy', another failed project of Barisan National (read: UMNO).

Projects do not fail from practicing correctly & properly laid out in rules and regulations in addition to a strong dose of commonsense. They fail from neglecting all of the above.

And that's what we see day in and day out in the Barisan National ordered societal.

Shame that we have a buffoon in Pandikar the Parliamentary Speaker, a man much like his compatriot from Sabah Bung Moktar, that genuine imbecility is rewarded, so long loyalty is demonstrated ! This gives Sabah people a bad rap!

The Speaker never appears to censure the power that be(read:UMNO) whilst plays monkey tricks on our elected in the opposition camp to charm his shrinking BN audience .

That man is a fool.

• 
• +23
• 
•