PN’s walkout during Anwar’s tribute to former and current Kings sparks outrage

MALAYSIA: Several videos showing members of Malaysia’s opposition party, Perikatan Nasional (PN), walking out during Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s additional time to express gratitude to the former and current Yang di-Pertuan Agong (YDPA) on 27 February in Parliament have sparked outrage among netizens.

These videos, recorded by attending politicians, were shared on their X pages, expressing their disappointment.

Among those who shared their disappointment was Minister of Housing and Local Government Nga Kor Ming, who commented, “It’s truly disappointing to see the PN opposition party displaying such irresponsible behavior by leaving the chamber when YAB PM Anwar Ibrahim was proposing a motion to convey appreciation and thanks to His Majesty the King.”

Amat dikesali ahli2 parlimen pembangkang PN telah menunjukkan sikap yg amat tidak bertanggungjawab meninggalkan dewan bila YAB PM @anwaribrahim bentangkan usul utk menzahirkan penghargaan dan ucapan terima kasih kpd DYMM Seri Paduka Baginda YDPA. #DaulatTuanku pic.twitter.com/QBGjwEu7Mn

— Nga Kor Ming (@NgaKorMing) February 27, 2024

Sungai Petani MP Taufiq Johari also weighed in, stating, “Opposition MPs exited the chamber, arguing and disagreeing with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who intended to deliver a speech of gratitude for the 17th YDPA and appreciation for the 16th YDPA.

He further remarked, “This transcends politics; it’s about our respect towards our beloved His Majesty.”

In another social media post by Ampang MP Rodziah Ismail, she conveyed her disappointment, saying, “Even the Prime Minister’s request for additional time became a contentious issue for the opposition party.”

From the Ampang MP’s post, it appears that the opposition party was displeased with the Prime Minister’s decision to request additional time to express gratitude to the former and current YDPA.

PN’s clarification

Subsequently, a report by local news outlet Sinar Harian revealed that the opposition chose to walk out due to their disagreement with Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul’s decision to allow the Prime Minister to express his thanks and pledge his loyalty to the YDPA.

They argued that the government should not act outside the established meeting rules, as it would be seen as an abuse of power.

Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin stated, “Today, we want to show that anything the government does that goes against the rules, we will oppose.

We will ensure that everything the government does follows the law and existing regulations,” he said during a media briefing at the Parliament building on Tuesday (27 Feb).

He added, “If we heard the royal decree yesterday (Monday) saying we must follow the law, follow the existing procedures, then wait for the Prime Minister to speak, whether he wants to speak for two, three hours, or a whole day, we (the opposition) will listen.”

“But when they do something outside the meeting rules, it leads us to believe this is an abuse of power,” he continued.

However, this action did not sit well with netizens who saw the videos, who also expressed their anger towards the opposition party, calling their behavior rude and disappointing.

Some went as far as to say that their conduct was embarrassing and akin to “throwing a tantrum like kids.”