Ariff: Why can’t an MP propose a vote of no confidence?

Ariff also warns Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi that the old Umno man wasn’t committing any offence on the no confidence move.

KUALA LUMPUR: Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was abusing his powers in dishing out silly and threatening statements directed at MPs, warned Raub MP Mohd Ariff Sabri Abdul Aziz in his latest blog posting. “He says he has handed proof and evidence to the police on the alleged moves by an old Umno man to remove Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.”

The old man from Umno, added Ariff, was merely gently persuading MPs across the political divide that they must band together and use lawful means available to dismiss the Najib government. “We are not in the business of toppling governments by violent means.”

Why can’t an MP propose a vote of no confidence? he asked. “That’s perfectly within the rights of an MP. Why can’t an MP solicit support for a cause from fellow MPs? That’s also an inalienable right of an MP. They are not against the law.”

Exciting things happen every day while Parliament is in session, pointed out Ariff. “It may include persuading fellow MPs to join a caucus.”

“Mind you these are not timid souls easily given to mere cheek-kissing and back-slapping social fraternization. Not easy to convince a fellow MP to associate himself or herself with a cause.”

If such a caucus leads to the migration of MPs from the other side to switch allegiance, he stressed, that was also not illegal. “Since when has the business of parliamentarians become police business?”

“The suggestion by DAP elder statesman Lim Kit Siang that Inspector General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar butt out of the legitimate business of MPs was deservedly pertinent.”

Ariff does not know whether, unknown to him, calling for a no confidence motion i.e.persuading MPs to cross over to join a common cause — the present common cause being the dismissal of the errant Prime Minister – had suddenly become a criminal offence. He thinks that Zahid was employing an old and discredited technique in destroying opponents and social dissenters. “In the olden days, the American authorities used to commit blacks to mental institutions to lock them out.”

Likewise, he said, Zahid was trying to criminalize the legitimate rights of MPs. “If he does so, we the people charge you, Zahid, of committing a most heinous disservice to the practice of parliamentary democracy.”

Ariff revisited Zahid telling the police of the old man in Umno going around collecting statutory declarations to show the Prime Minister the exit. “That is legal. It’s allowed by the law of the land.”

“The Federal Court has affirmed it in the dismissal of the Perak Government. Therefore, it was hypocritical of the Deputy Prime Minister to shout illegality and being alarmist about such a move.”

Whether such a move was morally reprehensible or not, does not matter, he said. “It’s the law of the land. It’s a numbers game. It’s normal and played out in Parliaments across the world. But the reaction of the Deputy Prime Minister, who is also Home Minister, was excessive.”

It can even be argued that morally it was right – the greatest good for the greatest number — to remove an errant Prime Minister, stressed Ariff. “The exposure of the identity of some 20 BN MPs being among those who want to jump ship has illustrated that the Deputy Prime Minister was an ogre.”

“They know that Zahid, who is the minister in charge of the police, was a big bully.”

The MPs have the right and privilege to deliberate and discuss among colleagues on the conduct of the ruling government, said Ariff. “That’s a right to be jealously guarded and defended.”

That right and privilege, said Ariff, cannot be subjected to the brutish bullying of the Home Minister.