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| BN backbencher tells Ong to quit |
| Written by Sharon Tan | |||
| Thursday, 29 October 2009 22:02 | |||
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Datuk Mohamad Aziz (Sri Gading-BN) said Ong, who is also the MCA president, had lost the confidence of his party members and ought to quit and not be a burden to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. "What is he waiting for? He should just quit. I am reflecting the public sentiment. If your party members do not want you, you should just go. "We have a dignified PM, the ministers too must have dignity. You should know where you stand. Why stay when your leadership is ineffective? You don't have the people's trust. Get out," he said in the Dewan Rakyat while debating Budget 2010. Mohamad did not name Ong at first but merely said a minister, but was prompted by BN Backbenchers Club (BNBBC) deputy chairman Datuk Bung Moktar Radin (Kinabatangan-BN) who asked: "Are you talking about Ong Tee Keat the transport minister?" This drew laughter from the opposition bench. Mohamad, who sits on the same row as Bung Moktar and BNBBC chairman Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing (Bintulu-BN), then replied that he was indeed referring to Ong. He added that Ong had lost credibility after his party's EGM on Oct 10. "He said he would quit if he lost the confidence of his party members. But now he is singing a different tune. He wants to stay and is creating problems for the prime minister," he said, adding that ministers should not be a burden to the government and should instead serve the people and MPs well. "Some seem to have forgotten us (members of parliament). They (ministers) are here when the PM is here. When the PM is not here, they are not here. These are ministers whom I call mengampu ("apple polishers")," said Mohamad, whose remark elicited loud cheers from both sides of the floor. He went on to say that some ministers were defeated in the general election and were now seated in the House as senators. He added that the prime minister had placed his trust in these ministers but instead they had failed to carry out their duties. "Some are tasked to look after key performance indicators (KPIs) but didn't do it. Instead they are busy taking care of their interest," he said. At this juncture, Lim Kit Siang (Ipoh Timur-DAP) stood up and asked Mohamad to be direct and state his views clearly. "Don't you mean the Gerakan chief Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon? Both Ong and Koh should leave?" asked Lim, drawing much laughter in the House. Mohamad, who often crosses swords with Lim, agreed, saying that Koh had not just lost the Batu Kawan parliamentary seat but the entire Penang state. When the opposition bench remarked that he was behaving like an opposition member in chastising the ministers, Mohamad snapped: "We are not here to warm the chairs. If the government is good, praise is in order. If bad, we have to criticise."
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