Prime Minister Ismail Sabri should not allow a parliamentary paralysis and schedule Thursday 27th January for Special Parliament to discuss Azam-gate

The Prime Minister, Ismail Sabri should not allow a parliamentary paralysis and schedule Thursday 27th January for a Special Parliament to discuss Azam-gate as Parliament cannot allow anyone, even if he is the MACC Chief Commissioner, to hold it to ransom from deciding important national questions.

Many issues on Azam-gate happened today.

First, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman Wong Kah Woh rightly challenged the position of the Speaker, Azahar Azizan Harun that the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Agencies under the Prime Minister’s Department cannot be open to the public and the media under the Dewan Rakyat Standing Orders except on one point. Then the MP for Teluk Intan, Nga Kor Ming, submitted an emergency motion to Parliament to debate Azam-gate.

But most shockingly was the news of the postponement of the Wednesday meeting of the PSCC on Agencies under the Prime Minister’s Department on Azamgate, because Azam Baki has objected to the PSCC meeting as he had filed a defamation suit which might be considered by the courts, and that he was already investigated by the Securities Commission and the MACC Complaints Committee.

This is most shocking as we are seeing a Parliamentary paralysis first time in the nation’s history.

Azam should appear before the PSCC to clear himself of conflict-of-interest allegations. What is he afraid of?

The PSCC proceedings should be open to the public and the media, but this can only be done when the Speaker at the Special Parliament on January 20 asked for the approval of Parliament.

The ball is now in the court of Ismail Sabri.

Is he going to allow the MACC Chief Commissioner to hold Parliament and the country to ransom – sparking a Parliamentary paralysis and plunging the country into the worst confidence crisis about the country’s anti-corruption efforts.

Is Malaysia condemned to become a kleptocracy?

Azahar became Speaker to block parliamentary reforms. Now that the Prime Minister who appointed him is no more Prime Minister, he should seize the opportunity to be a reform Speaker instead of blocking reforms.