Unprepared in Dewan Rakyat: Deduct RM10 from Deputy Education Minister Lim Hui Ying’s salary

It is regrettable that Deputy Education Minister Lim Hui Ying lacked professionalism when she arrived in the Dewan Rakyat unprepared with answers during the Minister’s question time. In the past, DAP had bandied a RM10 salary deduction from Cabinet Ministers. By the same token, this symbolic RM10 salary cut should be imposed on Hui Ying.

During the Minister’s question time in the Dewan Rakyat, Deputy Speaker Ramli Nor had reprimanded Hui Ying for her failure to prepare answers in advance for questions by Members of Parliament.

Responding to questions from MPs in Parliament is the basic duty of Ministers and Deputy Ministers. Furthermore, these relevant issues have already been included in the agenda for the Dewan Rakyat session. This means, the questions have already been prepared and distributed to the relevant Ministries and government departments in advance for a reply. The answers by the respective Ministers and Deputy Ministers are also prepared by officers from the said Ministries and government departments.

It is thus inconceivable and even tantamount to negligence to claim that the government department did not prepare the answers. This also suggests that the Deputy Minister is not familiar with the operations and subject matter of the various government departments.

According to media reports, the question posed to Hui Ying numbered 16th on today’s list. The special officer to the Deputy Education Minister informed that detailed briefings are given to the Minister and Deputy Minister to reply to only the first 15 questions. This in an indirect admission that the Deputy Minister, himself as the special officer and other officers in the Education Ministry had neglected their duties, whereby work which should have been completed was not even initiated.

As the question related to an allocation by the Ministry for the Supplementary Food Programme (RMT), a matter that involves nutritional meals which would benefit B40 school children in particular, the failure to respond reflects poorly on the Unity Government, - one which has given the commitment to address food security and the rising cost of living. Hui Ying’s performance since taking office can be said to be unsatisfactory and needs to be improved.  

Society will find it impossible to accept this mistake. If Ministers and Deputy Ministers do not take their basic duties seriously, how may the rakyat have confidence in this government to manage our nation properly?

To prevent this mistake from recurring, I believe it in necessary for Parliament to raise a motion to deduct RM10 from the Deputy Minister's salary as a symbolic punishment.

-MCA online-