Keeping Harapan on its toes: Top 5 opposition MPs to watch out for

ANALYSIS | For the first time in history, BN MPs are now sitting on the opposition bench and many do not appear to have settled into their new roles as watchdogs.

However, some have taken on their new roles with gusto by keeping the front bench, and even the speaker, on their toes.

In no particular order, below are the top five MPs who Malaysiakini believes have shown themselves to be an effective opposition so far:

1. Ronald Kiandee

A former two-term deputy speaker of the Dewan Rakyat, Ronald Kiandee (BN-Beluran) exploited his experience, making sure that the Standing Orders were applied fairly.

Notably, he contributed to Ramkarpal Singh's (Harapan-Bukit Gelugor) ejection on the first day of the debates by pointing out that the Standing Orders forbid the speaker from changing a previous ruling for the backbencher to retract his statement.

On policy, Kiandee demonstrated how he could tackle a wide breadth of issues including Sabah-related matters, parliamentary reforms and the South China Sea dispute, among others.

Kiandee also made history as the first opposition MP to be appointed as the chair of the Public Accounts Committee.

2. Ahmad Maslan

During his previous stint as a cabinet minister, Ahmad Maslan (BN-Pontian) was best remembered for his spirited defence of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) which often made him the subject of public ridicule.

Now, as an opposition MP, Ahmad has become even more outspoken and still believes that GST was the right approach for the nation.

However, he was resigned to the fact that Parliament would repeal the GST in favour of a Sales and Services Tax (SST), whereby he proposed that a more expensive form of SSTshould be applied to gaming centres and nightclubs to discourage vice.

Other issues he has debated include Felda, bumiputera rights, environmental issues and targeted subsidies.

3. Wee Ka Siong

Despite being the sole MCA representative in the Dewan Rakyat, Wee has been one of the most vocal opposition MPs, both outside and inside Parliament.

In particular, the Ayer Hitam MP has zoomed in on Harapan policies which were inconsistent with their previously held positions.

For instance, he pointed out that Harapan component party leaders had once criticised BN for appointing special envoys, only for the current administration to appoint Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai as a special envoy to China.

Wee repeatedly harangued the government over the latter’s decision to abolish the GST in favour of SST.

In an act of bipartisanship, Wee also backed Nurul Izzah Anwar’s (Harapan-Permatang Pauh) motion urging a debate on Israel’s move to declare itself a Jewish nation-state.

4. Mustapa Mohamed

Well-respected and soft-spoken, Mustapa (BN-Jeli) has often been regarded as a less belligerent politician.

The former international trade and industry minister does not stray far from this even as he speaks up more on issues related to trade and economy as the opposition.

As the GST and SST bills were one of the main issues of the past parliamentary sitting, it is no surprise that he also used this platform to push against the SST.

He stressed that to further develop Malaysia as a modern country, the government would need more revenue to do so, which is why the former administration introduced the GST.

Drawing on his experience as a former international trade and industry minister, he also spoke on how scrapping the GST could affect investor confidence and the importance of keeping the country’s tax rates competitive.

5. Khairy Jamaluddin

Since the swearing-in ceremony for MPs, Khairy Jamaluddin has set out to make a statement.

The Rembau MP was one of only two BN MPs to remain in the Dewan Rakyat when Ahmad Zahid Hamidi led an opposition walk-out in protest against the appointment of speaker Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof.

He raised valid questions concerning the powers of the Council of Eminent Persons (CEP), stressing that they were unelected and unaccountable to the public despite their perceived clout.

Khairy was also engaged in a protracted exchange with Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng right before the bill to repeal the GST was passed, and at one pointed pleaded for Harapan to break its promise by keeping the GST.

When Lim told the Dewan Rakyat that RM18 billion meant for GST refunds went missing during the previous administration, Khairy tried to challenge the minister by demanding proof.

Unsatisfied with Lim's promise for an internal probe, Khairy went on to lodge a police report to expedite investigations. - Mkini

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