Rembau rumble: Khairy causing a commotion

By Helen Ang

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YB Khairy Jamaluddin bin Abu Bakar is the honourable Member for Rembau. In case you’re interested in Cuti-cuti Malaysia, Rembau is where there are many fountains of youth.

BN-Rembau is this Parliament session’s winner of Anugerah BIADAP (Barisan Insan Awasi Drama Ahli Parlimen). Our inaugural award fittingly went to KJ’s father-in-law and in keeping with Ketuanan Menantu tradition, the son-in-law is the next fitting inductee into People’s Parliament hall of fame.

BN-Rembau sparkled like no other debutant MP before him and his impressive star turn makes him a drama king fully deserving of the BIA-DAP or Drama Ahli Parlimen plaudits.

Looking at the Hansard (May 12), it is most interesting to hear BN-Rembau in his own words, favourites which appear to be “Sit down” – directed at many, many of his colleagues in the House, “I have the floor” and “I do not give way”.

Like some kind of Broadway chorus, Deputy Speaker Ronald Kiandee repeatedly echoes BN-Rembau, saying, “He does not give way” / “Dia ada hak tak memberi jalan” in chastising the Opposition MPs who constantly interrupt citing Standing Order 31(b).

BN-Rembau appeared most taken with DAP-Taiping, saying: “Duduk Yang Berhormat Taiping. Tidak faham bahasa ke? Saya kata tidak bagi laluan”, and again, “Yang Berhormat, tak faham bahasa? Sila duduk.”

Deputy Minister in the PM’s Department, Senator T. Murugiah on the other hand, appears most taken with BN-Rembau. The Senator tells Opposition MPs: “Duduklah. Floor dia. Dia tak beri laluan, jangan kacau” and “Dia punya floor,” urging them to allow Rembau to carry on.

If BN-Rembau is Best Actor (Drama), the Best Supporting Actor Oscar goes to BN-Silam who thundered at the hero’s detractors, “Jangan tunjuk berani di sini,” and asking the Deputy Speaker to use Standing Order 44(2) on those who dare interfere with Rembau: “Kalau dia (PKR-Kulim Bandar Baru) tak mahu dengar cakap, suruh keluar.”

If the actors are dramatic, then their speeches truly delighted the Government backbenchers. BN-Rembau drew loud applause for declaiming: “Hanya daging ayam dan daging khinzir yang melepasi kadar 100% tahap sara diri, itu pun tidak cukup bagi satu kerajaan negeri yang telah meletakkan keutamaan nombor satu pentadbirannya kelulusan Projek Khinzir Raksasa atau singkatannya PKR” (… one state government had made it the number one priority of its administration to approve the Projek Khinzir Raksasa, or its acronym, PKR).

BN-Rembau elaborated: “With acronyms, we usually take the initials – Projek Khinzir Raksasa, P-K-R. Apa susah sangat?” His mention of the Gigantic Pig Project really got the House clapping and cheering. Now we know what stirs the BN spirit.

Another episode that caused a commotion occurred when BN-Rembau declared: “Tuan Yang di-Pertua, ini floor saya.” PAS-Kuala Krai rose to his feet. BN-Rembau barked: “Saya boleh buat apa sahaja yang saya suka. Sila duduk. [The House erupts into disorder]

BN-Rembau is clearly adept at citing points of order to make his colleagues stand down, proving if nothing else that he has ascended a steep learning curve.

Rembau also looks like a favoured child of the Speakers. In another sitting, he was allowed to pose a supplementary question on the NEP to the Minister in the PM’s Department Amirsham A. Aziz. A maximum of three questions are permitted from the floor and these are asked on the spot by MPs supposedly chosen at random by the Speaker.

The Minister’s seemingly cued response to BN-Rembau prompted Opposition Parliamentarians to shout: “The answer has been prepared!” (DAP-Ipoh Timor), “the question was leaked!” (PAS-Shah Alam), “planted question” (DAP-Bukit Mertajam), “Siap jawapan sampai dua muka!” (PAS-Pokok Sena), and the notion [two-page readied reply] taken up by DAP-Puchong. Now who says PAS and DAP can’t work together?

DAP-Batu Kawan asked Amirsham the second question. “See whether he can answer the question now,” was heard in the hall, implying that this time the Minister would not have been fed the question beforehand. Speaking off the cuff, the Minister managed only a two-line reply – what a contrast to his long one to Rembau.

BN-Rembau protests too much whereas the Minister in his father-in-law’s Department is only good for reading from prepared texts and when asked to ad-lib proved utterly tongue-tied. Perhaps the two gentlemen should just switch jobs.

Note:

Hartal MSM statement on ‘planted’ letter and Rembau, http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/81235