Infamous for his consistent no-shows at important sittings and voting sessions, Marang MP Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang is once again conspicuously absent during the opening of the 15th Parliament session today.
Opposition MPs have defended their decision to skip a portion of today’s Dewan Rakyat sitting, saying attending the Gerakan Selamatkan Syariah rally at the Palace of Justice should not be considered as “ponteng”.
The names of MPs found to be deliberately absent from parliamentary sittings will be displayed on the Dewan Rakyat website so that their constituents can be informed of the matter.
Absenteeism among representatives in Parliament may soon prove to be costly for politicians, as Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul is now looking at ways to penalise them for failing to attend sittings.
While concerns over drug-laced vapes grow, a blanket ban could backfire by wiping out businesses, threatening jobs, pushing trade underground amid weak enforcement and open tank loopholes
