KUCHING: Mas Gading MP Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe said the public should not perceive it as unusual or suspicious when certain MPs did not submit written questions to parliament. The first parliamentary sitting, since the March 8 general election, will start on April 28. All MPs were told at a briefing in the parliament complex in Kuala Lumpur on April 4 to submit their questions by April 8.

But just because he did not submit any written question for the first sitting, that did not mean he would only be a bystander during the coming parliament sitting, he said, when asked why he did not submit any question by April 8.

“Just because I have not submitted any written question does not mean I will not ask questions. I will ask oral questions,” he assured, saying he was looking forward to the parliamentary sitting.

Dr Tiki, a three-term federal deputy minister before the general election, said he found it ‘silly to ask questions which he already knew the answers’.

And it would be unfair to the ministers - who probably will be having their hands full by April 28 - if he (Dr Tiki) were to ask questions on matters or problems which he already knew could be addressed or resolved locally, he said.

The MP said at the moment, he had questions related to Mas Gading but they were of localised nature and not so urgent.

“Give other people the chance to do the questioning, first. I have prepared some questions which I will submit at an appropriate time,” said the vice president of Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP).

He was former Deputy Minister of National Integration and Unity as well as Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development within his three previous terms as MP.

Sarikei MP Ding Kuong Hing was more direct in his reply.

When contacted by The Borneo Post’s sister paper See Hua Daily News on Monday, the new MP said he had insufficient time to get his questions prepared and sent to parliament secretariat.

The Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) elected representative said he would instead strive to participate in debates to ‘air his questions’ during the coming parliamentary sitting.

He said a few days would not be enough to prepare good questions and that it would not be right to simply submit questions just for the sake of doing so.

Conceding that he lacked experience in view of being a first timer, Ding said he would get himself better prepared in future parliament sittings.

Dr Tiki and Ding were just two out of seven Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs from Sarawak who failed to submit questions to parliament.

The sole opposition MP from Sarawak, who is the DAP Sarawak secretary cum Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen, so far has not squander his chance to ask questions.

Lubok Antu MP William Nyallau Badak, a new BN MP, said he would only submit ‘quality questions’ but he conceded that he faced constraint of time.

Like Ding, Nyallau said he would not be asking questions just for the sake of asking.

The Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) supreme council member said time constraint to prepare questions should not be viewed as an issue or a major problem because he or other MPs could always ask quality questions during the sitting sessions.

Sibuti MP Ahmad Lai Bujang, another new BN MP, said he had submitted three questions through the facsimile machine on April 8 as he was also facing constraint of time.

Blaming the facsimile machine (fax), he said he had already written a letter to the parliament secretariat informing of the breakdown of communication and that he had in fact sent the three questions.

As of yesterday Igan MP Datuk Wahab Dolah, Mambong MP Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit and Hulu Rajang MP Billy Abit Joo could be reached for their comments.

It is understood that Wahab is now in Mecca performing the Umrah and would only return home on April 28 while Dawos was ill.

Both Wahab and Dawos are members of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) while Abit is PRS vice president.

Newly appointed Parliament Government Backbenchers Club chairman Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said it was the responsibility of each MP to ask questions.

And there will be no direct consequence should they failed to do so, he said adding that MPs could not be compelled to ask questions.

Tiong, is Bintulu MP and treasurer of SPDP, said the MPs were however encouraged to participate actively in every sitting.

A national paper, The Star, on April 20 reported that 14 opposition MPs, some of whom had been very vocal when campaigning before the general election - had been heavily criticised on websites for squandering their chances to question the government on various issues at the first parliament sitting.

Bloggers had reported that altogether 29 MPs, including three ex-ministers and one former deputy minister had not submitted any questions to parliament, the newspaper reported.

Since they missed sending questions for the first meeting, they will have to wait until the next meeting in June.

Some MPs, The Star reported, had given mere excuses by saying they had forgotten, too busy or not at fault.

One of them even blamed communications breakdown, Star reported.

Each MP is required to submit 10 oral questions and five written questions for the parliament’s Question Time, 21 days before the house begins each meeting.

Question Time is often lively as MPs trade barbs with the “frontbenchers” when they are not satisfied with the answers.