Dewan Rakyat lacks clear mechanism for no-confidence vote, says Beluran MP

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee is calling for a new provision in Parliament’s Standing Orders to enable a vote of no confidence against a prime minister to be properly tabled and debated.

Raising the matter in the Dewan Rakyat, the Beluran MP argued that existing Standing Orders, namely Orders 15 and 27, make it virtually impossible for such motions to see the light of day unless the government allows it.

According to Standing Order 27, any motion must first obtain approval to be listed, while Standing Order 15 gives priority to government business.

“Unlike the United Kingdom, New Zealand and even India’s Lok Sabha, our Parliament does not have a dedicated provision for a vote of confidence.

“There’s no real avenue for a no-confidence vote to be debated – unless the government agrees to it,” he said on Tuesday (Aug 5).

He also proposed that any such vote, if allowed, be conducted via secret ballot to ensure MPs can vote without external pressure.

Kiandee also took aim at the anti-party hopping law following the Court of Appeal’s recent decision upholding Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul’s ruling not to vacate the seats of four Bersatu MPs who declared support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

He urged lawmakers across the aisle to support amendments to the law to address existing loopholes, saying failure to do so would render the Act ineffective.

“We enacted this law to prevent MPs from jumping ship. But is this how it was meant to function?

“If this isn’t what you want, then you must support efforts to improve this law.

“Otherwise, we might as well repeal the Act and let everyone jump freely here and there.

“But if that’s not what we want, then all of us must support efforts to strengthen this legislation,” he said.