SINGAPORE: Comments posted on Facebook by Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Leong Mun Wai are in contempt of Parliament, mentioned Deputy Leader of the House Zaqy Mohamad.
In Parliament on Tuesday (Mar 8), Mr Zaqy requested the Progress Singapore Party MP to formally apologise after he wrote in a Facebook put up that the Speaker of Parliament had not allowed him to talk in Parliament utilizing the controversy cut-off time “as an excuse”.
Mr Zagy mentioned the put up, put up by Mr Leong on Monday, had urged that Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin intentionally didn’t name on Mr Leong to talk throughout Monday’s parliamentary debate “for improper reasons”.
At the top of the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) Committee of Supply (COS) session on Monday, Mr Leong had requested repeatedly to make a clarification following the ministry’s presentation of its programmes, however was informed that point was up.
Later that night, he wrote a Facebook post and put up a video of the alternate in Parliament to complain about not being given the possibility to talk.
“Mr Leong’s post and his video have impugned the speaker and the process of Parliament, and it misrepresented how the COS proceedings for MOM were ended yesterday,” mentioned Mr Zaqy, who can be Senior Minister of State for Defence and for Manpower.
“And that is by suggesting that you might have known as on Mr Leong, however intentionally didn’t accomplish that for improper causes.
“Now this is dishonourable and a contempt of Parliament. It breaches the Parliament (Privileges, Immunities and Powers) Act.”
LEONG ASKED TO APOLOGISE
Mr Zaqy on Tuesday requested Mr Leong to “do the proper thing”, and take down the video, Facebook put up and earlier feedback, in addition to to apologise earlier than the House and on Facebook.
He additionally specified the precise wording Mr Leong ought to use to apologise for his social media posts and requested that Mr Leong comply by the top of Tuesday’s Parliament sitting.
“Thereafter Parliament can decide whether and if so, what further steps may be necessary, depending on how Mr Leong responds to my request,” he mentioned.
“I note that the Member is not in Chambers, we will formally notify him of this statement and my request to ensure that it is brought to his notice.”
In the Facebook put up, titled “This Is How The Speaker Prevents A Member From Speaking”, Mr Leong wrote: “Today I used to be disadvantaged of the chance to answer Tan See Leng’s (TSL) ‘red herring’ assertion made final Friday as a result of the Speaker didn’t enable me to talk utilizing the cut-off time as an excuse.
“The cut-off time is decided by the Speaker before the session but there is flexibility because the Parliament schedule is ahead of time this year. Many MPs were also allowed to speak before me. He should know that I had an outstanding issue from the previous Friday’s sitting.”
Mr Leong then particulars in his put up the international manpower points he had needed to talk about in Parliament, which he has reiterated within the House quite a few instances.
Mr Leong’s Facebook put up follows a remark he made on his Facebook web page on Monday afternoon, which claimed that the Speaker “didn’t even give me the chance” to make clarifications. He had additionally written: “Completely ridiculous”.
“GUILLOTINE” TIME
Mr Tan had responded to that in Parliament on Monday by reminding MPs that each COS debate has a “guillotine” or finish time, and that Parliament must abide by that, and transfer on to different enterprise when it’s reached.
He had additionally mentioned that quite a few MPs from each side of the aisle had their likelihood to talk, whereas just a few, not simply Mr Leong, didn’t get to ask their questions because of the time constraint.
Mr Tan repeated this message on Tuesday, saying: “The Members were all informed before the commencement of COS of the total time allocated to the debate for each ministry and the start and end times of the debates.”
He added that thirty-and-a-half minutes have been allotted for clarifications for the MOM COS debate, however he let the controversy go on for 48 minutes till the guillotine time of 12.40pm.
Ten MPs made clarifications, together with 4 opposition members, one Nominated MP and 5 People’s Action Party MPs, mentioned Mr Tan.
“Mr Leong was not the only MP who could not ask a clarification at the end of MOM’s debate. There were other MPs who had raised their hands, and who had indicated that they wished to speak, and these included, Mr Edward Chia, Mr Louis Ng, Ms Janet Ang, Mr Melvin Yong, Mr Leon Perera, Ms Yeo Wan Ling,” mentioned Mr Tan.
“The Chair is under the duty to end the debate when the guillotine time for the ministry is reached. As the Chair of the Committee of Supply, I will continue to ensure that the proceedings in the COS is undertaken in a fair and orderly manner.”
Mr Leong’s Facebook put up was nonetheless on-line as of 1.20pm.
Source : channelnewsasia.com
