Human rights begin in Parliament, PN MP reminds govt during debate on Suhakam report

A Perikatan Nasional MP today asserted that human rights need to begin in Parliament, urging the government not to deny funds for opposition MPs to service their constituents as they face financial issues when it comes to administrative matters.

During a debate of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia's (Suhakam) annual report, PAS' Tumpat MP Mumtaz Md Nawi said while the commission receives allocations amounting to millions of ringgit to carry out various programmes, MPs from the opposition bloc, however, are denied their basic rights by the government.

Suhakam received an allocation of RM5.9 million in 2016 and another RM12.9 million in 2020.

"How can we discuss the human rights of others when opposition MPs, elected by the people, have no allocation for office operations?" she asked.

She said such allocation is crucial to ensure the smooth operation of parliamentary offices in each state.

Mumtaz said that although every MP receives a salary for serving the local community, they are not provided any allocation for officer operations, adding that they are often sidelined by ministers when visiting opposition-held seats.

The role of an MP encompasses not only office duties but also providing conducive services to the public, she added.

This includes providing daycare centres and other facilities that can be fully utilised by the residents of their respective parliamentary constituencies.

"Human rights should begin in Parliament," she said.