'Hadi misses key Parliament session on medical grounds'

SHAH ALAM - Pas President and Marang MP Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang was absent from the Dewan Rakyat proceedings today due to medical leave.

According to The Star, Hadi's apparent absence was noted as his seat remained vacant in the front row of the opposition bench.

This absence raised eyebrows, especially considering Hadi's track record of attending only 33 out of 103 Parliament sessions since July 26, 2021, as reported by the MyMP database.

Responding to queries surrounding Hadi's whereabouts, his political secretary, Mohd Syahir Che Sulaiman, clarified that Hadi was not missing from Parliament but was on medical leave.

Syahir, who is also the Bachok MP clarified that Hadi's health condition necessitated his absence and that he was in the midst of a recovery period, as advised by his doctors.

“He also has to stay in the hospital for follow-up treatments.

"We passed the necessary letter and the hospital medical chit to the Speaker on Feb 25 to inform him that Hadi would not be able to attend today's sitting.

"This was all done in advance to ensure that the Speaker was duly informed as to why Abdul Hadi could not be in his seat today," he added.

While Hadi's medical leave addresses the questions surrounding his absence, his non-attendance at such a significant parliamentary event highlights the importance of MPs' regular participation in parliamentary proceedings.

This incident also prompted discussions regarding measures proposed by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul to display the names of MPs deliberately absent from parliamentary sittings on the Dewan Rakyat website, ensuring accountability to their constituents.