Friday, December 26, 2008

Live TV coverage brings parliament 'circus' to the living room

The Dewan Rakyat session has never been the same since Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) started live coverage showing government backbenchers in a war of words with the opposition.
The key players are oldtimers like Karpal Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor), Datuk Bung Moktar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan), Datuk Mohamad Aziz (BN-Sri Gading), Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang (PAS-Marang), Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing (BN-Bintulu) and Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur).
The new kids on the block include Khairy Jamaluddin (BN-Rembau), Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir (BN-Jerlun), Azmin Ali (PKR-Gombak), Gobind Singh Deo (DAP-Puchong) and Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (PKR-Machang).
The high temperature in parliament was due to the political tsunami from the last general election where Barisan Nasional (BN) only won 140 seats of the 222 seats with 82 going to the opposition, thus losing the two-thirds majority.
Veterans Karpal Singh and Datuk Bung Moktar turned parliament into a circus when they traded barbs, calling each other names like 'bigfoot' and 'big monkey', resulting in only three questions answered during the question and answer session.
Karpal: "I hope that the 'bigfoot' from Kinabatangan will not disturb me. 'Bigfoot' sit down".
Bung Moktar: "I dare you to stand. If I am 'bigfoot', you are 'big monkey'," he told off Karpal who kept questioning the manner a member of parliament (MP) had taken his oath.
The name calling did not end there as Karpal then dragged seasoned politician Ibrahim Ali into the fray calling him 'frog' for contesting on a PAS ticket but remaining an independent.
It all broke loose on the first day of the parliament sitting where RTM1 made live coverage for 30 minutes, keeping many Malaysians glued to the TV sets.
After this episode, several quarters called on the government to review the rationale of the live coverage aimed at proving its media transparency with some calling for it to be scrapped.
The Cabinet then decided that the live coverage should continue while the MPs were advised to behave properly and choose their words carefully.
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia and his two deputies Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar and Datuk Ronald Kiandee had been likened to headmasters trying to control a bunch of schoolchildren.
Some of Pandikar Amin's decisions had caused dissatisfaction to Fong Po Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah), Chong Chieng Jan (DAP-Bandar Kuching) and Gobind Singh Deo (DAP-Puchong) who were ejected and suspended from questioning them.
The entry of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim into parliament replacing wife Datin Seri Wan Azizah Ismail as opposition leader in August only served to crank up the heat in the Dewan Rakyat.
Anwar, who won the Permatang Pauh seat vacated by Wan Azizah, wasted little time in making his presence felt by claiming that some BN MPs would switch to the opposition enabling him to form the federal government on Sept 16.
His claim that at least 13 BN MPs from East Malaysia would jump ship fueled talks of a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, prompting calls for an anti party-hopping law.
It turned out to be a bluff as no BN MPs had defected except for Datuk Eric Enchin Majimbun (BN-Sepanggar) and Datuk Dr Chua Soon Bui (BN-Tawau), who quit Parti Maju Sabah (SAPP) to become independents.
The Dewan Rakyat was also at the centre of a boycott by the media as pressmen were barred from making coverage in the lobby area.
The boycott was called off after government backbenchers stepped in by cutting the ribbon put up to prevent pressmen from entering the lobby.

tunku : we hope that more airtime be given to parliamentary debate as it gives the people the chance to follow the debate as they are the one who chooses the parliamentarians there.they need to know what their parliament member doing there.some are just sleeping to past time and collect allowance while some are doing what they are suppose to do, that is voicing out for the people.with more live coverage and airtime, we believe they will be more discipline and will make sure that they are talking the right thing there,not just making jokes, teasing each other etc.

5 comments:

Tok Kemuning said...

Parliment seating should be covered live entirely. Dedicated channel should be established to provide live and/or dedicated coverage for Dewan parliment dan Dewan Negara seating. This would further promote democratic principles and for Rakyat to closely monitor and evaluating their representatives.

Anonymous said...

yes,sometimes the mps can act like some kids in kindergarden with all that name calling.but to a positive side,the live telecast shows that who's is working and who's not.

as "circus" as it may seems,people need to know of what happened in the parliament.public now are more eager and conscious towards our political scene.

Unknown said...

ada kebaikan dan keburukan dalam hal ini.

keburukannya ialah kita terpaksa sakit mata,telinga dan hati sebab tengok ada sebilangan ahli parlimen yang tak reti jaga mulut dan adab.cakap ikut suka hati je.

tapi kebaikannya pula ialah rakyat dapat tahu apa yang berlaku dalam parlimen dan rakyat boleh kenalpasti siapa yang sering bangun demi kebaikan rakyat.kalau sebelum ini mungkin ada yang curi tulang,tapi sekarang dah tak boleh nak main-main sebab rakyat dah bole tahu apa yang jadi dalam dewan.

Anonymous said...

Think for the poeple and work for the voters.

We had many unsolved problems. Basic problems.

1. Rubbish every where. clogging drainage, rivers. causing dangue...
2. Many crimes..
3. Basic living components...MONEY.

people are struggling and yet MPs are main main tak hanis?

Anonymous said...

Ahli parlimen sepatutnya lebih bijak untuk berhujah ini kerana apa yang mereka perbincangkan disiarkan di tv.