PM's absence no excuse to boycott special session, says Syed Saddiq

Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, the Member of Parliament for Muar representing the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda), has strongly criticized opposition colleagues for boycotting a special session of the Dewan Rakyat. The session was convened to discuss the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH), the Malaysian Hajj pilgrims fund.

Syed Saddiq argued that the RCI report is not the property of any Prime Minister or political party but rather concerns the interests of over 10 million TH depositors. He stressed that elected representatives have a responsibility to examine facts and expose any wrongdoing through parliamentary debates. "If there are facts, debate them. If there is wrongdoing, expose it," he stated.

Expressing disappointment, Syed Saddiq found it particularly regrettable that some opposition members, who he claimed are vocal proponents of Malay and Islamic causes, chose to boycott a debate on an institution crucial to the Malay Muslim community. "We are not boycotting ministers; we are boycotting our trust to millions of Tabung Haji depositors," he declared in the Dewan Rakyat.

Based on this principle, Syed Saddiq affirmed his decision to remain in Parliament and participate in the debate, grounding his arguments in facts and data. He emphasized that Parliament is not a "one-man show" and that elected officials are paid to fulfill their oversight roles. "The Prime Minister is the one who is sick, but we are the ones not doing our jobs," he remarked, highlighting the failure to perform their essential duty of checks and balances.