MPs fume as TPPA queries go unanswered
MalaysiaKini.com
Nov 17, 2014

PARLIAMENT Several Pakatan Rakyat MPs today were once again left frustrated after Deputy International Trade and Industries Minister Hamim Samuri refused to answer questions on the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) in the Dewan Rakyat.
 
Despite posers from several MPs, Hamim negated the questions by saying issues raised by the MPs could be discussed at the parliamentary caucus on TPPA.
 
Deputy speaker Ismail Mohamed Said then allowed Hamim (left) to wrap up the answers for the ministry at committee stage, without answering the queries on TPPA.
 
Last week, Deputy Finance Minister Chua Tee Yong refused to answer questions on 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) at the Finance Ministry's committee stage.
 
"The deputy minister and the ministry level of preparedness is weak," DAP's Klang MP, Charles Santiago, who stood up demanding that the speaker instruct the deputy minister to answer the questions, told Malaysiakini.
 
"If the answers are available in the caucus we won't be asking questions in the Parliament," he added. 

Charles said that the caucus last sat in early October and sat about two to three months before that.
 
In the House, Mahfuz Omar (PAS-Pokok Sena) fumed that the caucus only comprises of select members and that answers inside Parliament would benefit all members.
 
Teresa Kok (DAP-Seputeh) also expressed her unhappiness by shouting "tidak" (no) loudly when the ministry's budget was being passed at committee stage.
 
Ismail also said that he had no powers to demand answers from the deputy minister.

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