An Unnecessary Show of Partisan Politics: an excerpt from Parliament, Unexpected

Setiausaha: … Saya dengan ini memasyhurkan bahawa Yang Berbahagia Dato’ Mohamad Ariff bin Md. Yusof dipilih sebagai Tuan Yang di-Pertua Dewan Rakyat. [Dewan riuh]

Dato’ Haji Che Abdullah bin Mat Nawi [Tumpat]: Inikah Malaysia baharu? Tipu! Tipu!

Setiausaha: Maka dengan itu, Majlis Mesyuarat dengan segala hormatnya mempersilakan Yang Berbahagia Dato’ Mohamad Ariff bin Md. Yusof masuk ke Dewan.

Dato’ Haji Che Abdullah bin Mat Nawi [Tumpat]: Inikah Malaysia baharu?

Ahli: Angkat sumpah dahulu. Angkat sumpah dahulu.

Tuan Sim Chee Keong [Bukit Mertajam]: Angkat sumpah dahulu. Angkat sumpah dahulu. Hendak pergi mana? Perancis menang…

Dato’ Abdullah Sani bin Abdul Hamid [Kapar]: Keluar. Keluar. Keluar. Pergi keluar. Pergi keluar.

[Ahli-ahli Pembangkang keluar Dewan] [4]

It should have been a straightforward matter of having the motion to propose that I be elected by the House as Speaker read and passed. It transpired otherwise. Led by the Honourable Member for Kota Bharu who kept interrupting Datuk Roosme and the Prime Minister throughout, the proceedings became a black comedy of sorts. It was even more unusual for these interruptions to be made (other Honourable Members from the Opposition Bench followed suit) when there was only one proposal. There was no other person to be proposed to be elected. It descended into a right royal commotion; even the Hansard reporters could not keep track and attributed the shouts of “Tipu! Tipu!” (“Cheat! Cheat!”) to “Seorang Ahli’’ or “A Member” (unnamed).

The heated objections had to do with an alleged non-compliance of the 14 days’ notice requirement under Standing Order 4(1) which I alluded to earlier in the last Chapter. These objectors apparently believed the notice had not been submitted to Datuk Roosme within the 14 days before the meeting.

One has to admire the steely nerves of Datuk Roosme as SUDR. Responding to the Honourable Member for Kota Bharu, she said firmly, “Mungkin dengar saya dulu” (Perhaps listen to me first), and unfazed by the noise and the drama, proceeded to explain she had received a proposed candidate from the Prime Minister in a letter dated 2 July 2018 on the election of the Speaker.

It was a case of the dogged Member for Kota Bahru against the resolute SUDR!

Almost the entire Opposition Bench walked out of the House, except for the Member for Rembau, Khairy Jamaluddin, and the Member for Kimanis, Datuk Seri Anifah Aman. Those who walked out, I suppose, simply wanted to prove a point of uncertain intent, despite the wise advice of the Member for Johor Bahru, Akmal Nasrullah, to: “Angkat sumpah dulu, Jangan keluar” (Take your oaths first. Don’t leave).

An aghast House, when profitable

From my seat, I watched the Opposition members huff and puff when filing out of the Dewan; the years in legal practice and the judiciary had trained me to be cool-headed when dealing with ruffian antics.

In the absence of the Opposition, sans two members, from the House, the motion introduced by the Prime Minister and seconded by the Deputy Prime Minister, was passed without further incident.

I walked the few steps from where I sat to the Speaker’s platform and had myself robed. I must say it was a most elaborate robe, almost like the ceremonial robe I wore as a Court of Appeal judge. My children, all five of them, Lutfi, Siti Hannah, Husni, Fahim and Aqiff, were present at the public gallery, while Hakimah sat with the VIP guests.

I took my oath of office and read my acceptance speech – something I prepared in a hurry with the help of my son, Lutfi, who thankfully was quite adept at speech writing. The speech quoted some lines from a work by Raja Ali Haji, a renowned writer-philosopher of the Malay Nusantara world during the 19th century.

As I read the speech or rather, the Speaker addressing a half empty hall, somehow the words took on more weight and meaning than when it was first drafted.

“Ahli-ahli Yang Berhormat yang saya hormati sekalian, suara-suara Yang Berhormatlah yang akan menyampaikan keluh kesah rakyat, termasuk mereka yang saban hari membanting tulang di kota dan di desa, di tengah lautan, di bendang dan ladang dan di belantara, mereka yang lemah dan yang dipinggirkan.

Biarlah Dewan ini diisi dengan gaya bahasa dan suara-suara yang menginsafi pesanan pujangga Nusantara, Raja Ali Haji, “Apabila mendengar akan khabar menerimanya itu hendaklah sabar, apabila mendengar akan aduan membicarakannya itu hendaklah cemburuan, apabila perkataan yang lemah lembut lekaslah segala orang mengikut, apabila perkataan yang amat kasar lekaslah orang sekalian gusar dan apabila pekerjaan yang amat benar tidak boleh orang berbuat onar”.

Saya yakin Ahli-ahli Yang Berhormat sekalian seperti mana Ahli-ahli yang terdahulu akan melaksanakan tugas sebagai wakil rakyat ini dengan terhormat seperti yang dituntut keluhuran institusi ini. Dengan berbahas berasaskan kejujuran dan tanggungjawab dan berdebat secara saling hormat-menghormati antara satu sama yang lain dalam rangka demokrasi berparlimen. Saya percaya tutur kata dan perlakuan Ahli-ahli Yang Berhormat sekalian akan memastikan kita mampu capai matlamat-matlamat tinggi Dewan ini.”[5]

After reading the speech, I proceeded to preside over the oath-taking by the Members, starting with the Prime Minister. The Members who had earlier staged the seemingly boisterous, angry and self-righteous walk-out, unabashedly walked in. They must have realised they needed to be sworn in, and the only person who could do it was me!

This episode concluded with a brief bit of levity.

The next morning, on 17 July 2018, was the formal opening of Parliament and the reading of the King’s Speech. His Majesty, Sultan Muhammad V, was greeted with all the pomp and ceremony and graciously ushered into the House to begin the reading of the King’s Speech, the “Titah Diraja”. It was the usual solemn and serious occasion, but to everyone’s surprise and delight, before taking his seat, His Majesty took a moment to address the House, then said with a smile, “Sila duduk, jangan lari” (Please sit, don’t run away). The House broke into spontaneous laughter with everyone instantly understanding what His Majesty meant.

Although one does wonder whether it would also have been wise to advise the honourable members to refrain from “melompat” or jumping.

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