Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Ask me - Amy Grant
Prime Minister's Questions or "PMQs" is a high point of the parliamentary week.
Each week on Wednesday afternoon the prime minister must come to the House of Commons to answer oral questions for half an hour.
Read more about the PMQs here.
Every Wednesday, the PMQs also happens to be a small high point of me week. I've made it open in the past that while i do not agree with all of Tony Blair's decisions, i'm nevertheless a supporter. And every Wednesday, i try to tune in on BBC Online which telecast the PMQs live online.
I guess one thing that attracts me to the PMQs is that we dun have such things back home. It is indeed a treat to watch the PM think on his feet and fend off all sorts of questions spontaneously. Of course he does his homework before hand - and very impressive work, too, by the replies and retorts that he gives. But there are times like today when he has to admit that he never gave much thought on a certain issue - the issue raised today that stumped him was on English folkdancing!!!!
It is also amusing to see how the government ministers ask leading questions or "helpful" questions to aid the PM. Like today, a Labour MP stood up and asked, "Besides ....(and he goes on and rattle a long, long list of Labour achivements), what has the Labour party done for the nation?"
Another thing i like about it is the respect given to each other. Sure, the questions are hard, uncompromising, strong and at times provocative. The answers given are usually in the similar vein - but based on facts, statistics and reason. It hardly gets personal - although today, when Michael Howard, the previous Home Secretary from the Conservative party, stood up to question the competency of the present Home Secretary, the PM took the opportunity to remind him on his poor performance in the past and that the Labour had since improved on that!
We dun get these kinda things back home. From the reports we read, the Parliamentary proceedings are childish, immature and very personal. Like when the rights of the non-Malays were raised, the response was that "If you don't like it here, you can leave the country"!!!! (altho it was said in a harsher manner).
And there are no "live" telecast at all. Recently, it was reported in Malaysiakini that this issue was raised by a member of the opposition party. However, the Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin said that Malaysians were apparently not ready for that as they still think from a racial point of view! You can read about it here if you are a subscriber.
The minister reiterated that in a press conference later that Malaysians still have a "third world mentality" and that "we have not reached an intellectual stage where Malaysians can carry the wisdom of being able to agree to disagree".
On that point, minister, i disagree.
Each week on Wednesday afternoon the prime minister must come to the House of Commons to answer oral questions for half an hour.
Read more about the PMQs here.
Every Wednesday, the PMQs also happens to be a small high point of me week. I've made it open in the past that while i do not agree with all of Tony Blair's decisions, i'm nevertheless a supporter. And every Wednesday, i try to tune in on BBC Online which telecast the PMQs live online.
I guess one thing that attracts me to the PMQs is that we dun have such things back home. It is indeed a treat to watch the PM think on his feet and fend off all sorts of questions spontaneously. Of course he does his homework before hand - and very impressive work, too, by the replies and retorts that he gives. But there are times like today when he has to admit that he never gave much thought on a certain issue - the issue raised today that stumped him was on English folkdancing!!!!
It is also amusing to see how the government ministers ask leading questions or "helpful" questions to aid the PM. Like today, a Labour MP stood up and asked, "Besides ....(and he goes on and rattle a long, long list of Labour achivements), what has the Labour party done for the nation?"
Another thing i like about it is the respect given to each other. Sure, the questions are hard, uncompromising, strong and at times provocative. The answers given are usually in the similar vein - but based on facts, statistics and reason. It hardly gets personal - although today, when Michael Howard, the previous Home Secretary from the Conservative party, stood up to question the competency of the present Home Secretary, the PM took the opportunity to remind him on his poor performance in the past and that the Labour had since improved on that!
We dun get these kinda things back home. From the reports we read, the Parliamentary proceedings are childish, immature and very personal. Like when the rights of the non-Malays were raised, the response was that "If you don't like it here, you can leave the country"!!!! (altho it was said in a harsher manner).
And there are no "live" telecast at all. Recently, it was reported in Malaysiakini that this issue was raised by a member of the opposition party. However, the Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin said that Malaysians were apparently not ready for that as they still think from a racial point of view! You can read about it here if you are a subscriber.
The minister reiterated that in a press conference later that Malaysians still have a "third world mentality" and that "we have not reached an intellectual stage where Malaysians can carry the wisdom of being able to agree to disagree".
On that point, minister, i disagree.
# posted by imissw : 12:59:00 pm
Comments:
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Does that statement by Minister ZAM therefore means that the third world mentality must apply to HIM and to every other Govt leader, or does it just apply to ordinary Joes and Janes like you and I? Frankly, I find both options disturbing.
Ps. state elections happening in my turf soon.;)
Ps. state elections happening in my turf soon.;)
Well, he did say "We" - but i doubt he would ever think of himself so low...
Local elections just over here. Labour sufferred massive defeat. I'm sure u read all about it?
Local elections just over here. Labour sufferred massive defeat. I'm sure u read all about it?
Perhaps he should coz I don't consider myself that dungu. Esp when I can follow BBC's PMQs.:P Yes, read abt labour's thrashing. things not looking gd for tony. but then again, it hasn't been looking gd since he decided to follow usa into iraq.
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