KUALA LUMPUR — The decision by Perikatan Nasional (PN) MPs to walk out of the Dewan Rakyat during a special sitting on the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) has been criticised by political analysts as a political move that undermined the opposition’s role as a check and balance.
Senior political analyst Dr Lau Zhe Wei of the International Islamic University Malaysia described the walkout as “more of a political drama rather than a sincere walkout”, saying opposition MPs should have remained in the Dewan and raised their concerns during the briefing.
He said the opposition should have understood the absence of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is currently hospitalised, particularly as neither the law nor the Standing Orders requires the Prime Minister himself to deliver the briefing.
“It does not mention, by law, by constitution or by the Standing Order, that it must be the Prime Minister. It can be anybody representing him,” he told Scoop.
Lau acknowledged that PN MPs might have preferred Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, to personally address the matter, but said the Prime Minister’s hospitalisation warranted “a certain level of courtesy”.
He said PN MPs could have remained in the Dewan and questioned the ministers directly if they were dissatisfied with the explanations provided.
“If any dissatisfaction or any accusation were to be made during the briefing, question it on the spot instead of walking out,” he said.
Lau also questioned the political impact of the walkout, saying it was unlikely to influence voters.
“All this political walkout, it can create a drama, it can create a topic, clickbait, but it wouldn’t be an issue that changed the voting inclination,” he said.
Political analyst and geostrategist Dr Azmi Hassan, meanwhile, described the walkout as a “disservice” to PN MPs and a missed opportunity to debate the TH RCI report.
He said the opposition should have used the presence of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and other Cabinet ministers to raise questions about the report.
“Even though they use the excuse that the Prime Minister is not there, the Deputy Prime Minister is there. The Minister is there. I think it’s a good opportunity to question the Cabinet members about the RCI,” he said.
Azmi also questioned why the RCI report had not been released earlier, noting that the commission was established during the administration of former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, while its report was released during the administration of Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
He said PN’s decision to walk out could give the impression that the opposition was avoiding scrutiny over the report.
“So in this case, I think they knew that the debate would be at the receiving end. But I think it’s a lost opportunity,” he said.
Meanwhile, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia associate professor Dr Mazlan Ali was more critical, describing the walkout as inappropriate and a political game that undermined the opposition’s credibility as a check and balance force in Parliament.
“The opposition MPs should remain seated in the Dewan Rakyat while listening to the ministers’ statements. And they can ask questions if they are not satisfied,” he said.
Mazlan said the walkout also raised questions over PN’s commitment to defending TH depositors, particularly as the RCI report concerns an institution closely linked to the interests of Malay Muslims.
“I think the opposition is not serious about defending Tabung Haji depositors. They seem not interested in getting the real information from this report in Parliament, but are more concerned with their political agenda,” he said.
He said the move could further damage the opposition’s reputation and reinforce perceptions that PN was more interested in criticising the government than fulfilling its role as an effective check and balance.
“The opposition continues to show dubious quality. They are still practising the old political script, when they should have taken this opportunity to demonstrate their authority to the people through a transparent question and answer session,” he said.
Mazlan added that the opposition should have listened to the minister’s explanation before raising criticisms or making suggestions.
“The opposition should listen first and then criticise and make suggestions, not give unreasonable excuses,” he said. – August 13, 2026