Datuk "Dung" Mokhtar

The BN member of parliament for Kinabatangan, Sabah Datuk Bung Mokhtar was at his "best behaviour" again on Tuesday (8 June 2008) in our august house.

Not only did he uttered an unparliamentary word towards the opposition bench but was also caught on TV making a lewd gesture as well which prompted the Speaker of the House to comment "tidak senonoh Yang Berhormat". Please see http://7rangers.blogspot.com/2008/07/dung-oooooops-bung-moktar-radin-bn.html for his academy award performance.

Even when he was caught with his pants down, this brute from Kinabatangan still maintained that he had not made any lewd gesture and that he had merely slapped the back of his left hand with his right palm. Who is he trying to kid? The voters in his constituency may have high regards for him to vote him again into office on March 8 but frankly, I was disappointed that the BN re-nominated him to stand for election.

Together with the former MP for Jasin, Datuk Mohd. Said Yusof (the famous close-one-eye) chap, both of them behaved terribly in the last parliament making a sexist remark against a fellow woman MP (Fong Po Kuan of Batu Gajah). When pressure mounted upon him through former Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Shahrizat Abdul Jalil to make an apology, he made an iffy one.

Thankfully, his is the last of the notorious trio who is still in parliament. The former MP for Jerai Datuk Badruddin Amiruldin, famous for his "I can see a tunnel" comment lost in the recent General Election whereas the Close-One-Eye chap was not even considered for re-election.

I fully agree with the Deputy Speaker Datuk Dr. Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar when he commented that "despite many years of university education, MPs were still finding it difficult to maintain decorum in the House. We want to aim for a first class Parliament but we seem to be only going backwards."

The majority of Malaysians who voted their MPs into Parliament in the recent general election wants their elected representatives to be of the highest quality. If they can keep their emotions in check, I am sure they can perform their duties admirably.

However, with the likes of the Kinabatangan MP happily going round doing what his is known for, it will be along while indeed before we can ever see some world class debates like those in the House of Commons or the US Congress.

Note: I managed to catch the NTV7 8.00 pm 7 Edition news this evening and "Dung" Mokhtar
was quoted as saying that it was just his "style" to have acted the way he did. Sure didn't
show any signs of regret for his actions.