Party Loyalty in Parliament
In 2005, the issue of voting along party lines was brought up when two Barisan National Members of Parliament (MPs), Bung Moktar Radin and Mohamed Aziz, supported a motion by Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) to refer International Trade and Industry Ministry secretary Sidek Hassan to the Committee of Privileges. Deputy Prime Minister Dato Seri Najib Tun Razak, who is also the BN whip in the Dewan Rakyat (lower house of Parliament) had the two MPs referred to the Cabinet for breaking the BN policy of never voting for motions proposed by the opposition. According to Najib, the two MPs apologised for their actions once informed of their mistake. Eventually, the Cabinet settled on a reprimand and with no further action taken.
In the aftermath of the general election held on March 8, 2008, there were calls from component parties from Sabah and Sarawak for more autonomy from the federal government.
In 2008, the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), consisting of two MPs, announced it would leave Barisan Nasional to sit on the crossbenches of Parliament.
Read more about this topic: Barisan Nasional
Famous quotes containing the words party, loyalty and/or parliament:
“He said, truly, that the reason why such greatly superior numbers quailed before him was, as one of his prisoners confessed, because they lacked a cause,—a kind of armor which he and his party never lacked. When the time came, few men were found willing to lay down their lives in defense of what they knew to be wrong; they did not like that this should be their last act in this world.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“There should be a sympathy with freedom, a desire to give it scope, founded not upon visionary ideas, but upon the long experience of many generations within the shores of this happy isle, that in freedom you lay the firmest foundations both of loyalty and order.”
—W.E. (William Ewart)
“At the ramparts on the cliff near the old Parliament House I counted twenty-four thirty-two-pounders in a row, pointed over the harbor, with their balls piled pyramid-wise between them,—there are said to be in all about one hundred and eighty guns mounted at Quebec,—all which were faithfully kept dusted by officials, in accordance with the motto, “In time of peace prepare for war”; but I saw no preparations for peace: she was plainly an uninvited guest.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)