Chaos erupts again in Dewan Rakyat session

KUALA LUMPUR - The Dewan Rakyat session turned chaotic again today when inappropriate words were uttered when Opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin debated on the Budget 2023.

Datuk Che Mohamad Zulkifly (PN-Besut) and Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim (PN-Arau) called Lee Chuan How (PH-Ipoh Timur) rude when Lee tried to interrupt several times without Hamzah's permission.

Hamzah (PN-Larut) touched on the allocation for dilapidated schools and clinics, amounting to RM1.2 billion, which is less than the amount allocated previously in Oct.

"I want an explanation because it is a big problem for the people. If you want to help, (allocations) should not be reduced, but rather maintained. Likewise with poor clinics, (allocations) should not be less, more is better because villages need clinics all over the country," he insisted.

Lee then stood up and intervened without following the rules of debate, where members of parliament (MPs) need to be given permission by the debater before interjecting.

Following that, Che Mohamad interrupted by asking Lee not to be rude and disrupt the debate session.

"Don't be rude, don't disturb. This is a rude act. You (Lee) don't be rude in this hall," he said.

Shahidan at the same time also called Lee rude.

Meanwhile, Beluran Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee expressed concern about the word "full-stop" poverty being misused in the Budget 2023.

"I am worried about the term 'full-stop' poverty. The interpretation of Kuala Selangor (Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad) is that he wants to end poverty with a RM750 million allocation to poor families.

"If you give them RM750 million, (then) they will come off the poverty list, (meaning) they will be removed from the data list? "But in reality, that doesn't happen. If this is the theory of eliminating poverty made by Tambun (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim), it is a false hope," he said.

Through the Budget 2023, Anwar mentioned in his speech the government's commitment to eradicate extreme poverty through the People's Income Initiative (IPR) with an allocation of RM750 million to the Economy Minister.