KUALA LUMPUR: Equal allocations for members of parliament must be institutionalised to ensure fair treatment across the political divide, says Beluran MP Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee.
Debating in the Dewan Rakyat today, he said the move was necessary to guarantee equal funding regardless of which side of the House lawmakers sat on.
He said the issue had persisted since 2018, when opposition MPs were denied allocations by the government of the day.
Kiandee said without institutionalising equal allocations, government MPs today could face the same treatment if they found themselves in the opposition in future.
Separately, Kiandee called for constitutional amendments to increase the number of Deputy Speakers in the Dewan Rakyat.
He said relying on Standing Order 7(3) to appoint MPs to temporarily chair proceedings was not a viable long-term solution.
Under Standing Order 7(3), the Speaker may request an MP to temporarily take the Chair and preside over a sitting.
Kiandee, a former Deputy Speaker, said the House frequently resorted to the provision, particularly during late-night sittings.
"If we lack Deputy Speakers, if we are short-handed, we shouldn't just rely on the Standing Orders; amend the Constitution and add the required number of Deputy Speakers tasked with handling Dewan Rakyat sittings," he said.
"It wouldn't be wrong to appoint more than two Deputy Speakers. Indonesia has four Deputy Speakers.
"The Philippines has 14 Deputy Speakers for a House of Representatives of only 318 members.
"Thailand has two, Singapore has two, but our situation necessitates the appointment of additional Deputy Speakers," he said.
While acknowledging that appointing more Deputy Speakers would incur additional costs, including salaries, allowances, office space and staffing, he said the House needed more presiding officers to manage its sittings effectively.
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