• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • RSS
  • Archives
  • Subscribe
The Nut Graph

The Nut Graph

Making Sense of Politics & Pop Culture

  • Projects
    • MP Watch
    • Found in Conversation
  • Current Issues
    • 6 Words
    • Commentary
    • Features
    • Found in Quotation
    • News
  • Columns
  • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Found in Malaysia
  • Multimedia
    • Audio
    • Pictures
    • Videos
  • Corrections
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Vault
    • Found in Translation

Bung Moktar Radin (Kinabatangan)

By Koh Lay Chin

April 30, 2010

(Source: parlimen.gov.my)

KINABATANGAN Member of Parliament (MP) Datuk Bung Moktar Radin’s response to the MP Watch: Eye on Parliament project, which asks all 222 MPs six questions.

Name: Bung Moktar Radin
Constituency:
Kinabatangan

Party: Umno
Years as MP:
Since 1999

Government position: None

Party position:
Supreme council member
Kinabatangan division chief

Membership in parliamentary committees or caucus:
Inter-Parliamentary Union member

Blog/website: None

1 Would you support the abolition/review of the Internal Security Act (ISA), in particular the provision that allows for detention without trial? Why or why not?

Let us see what will be tabled by the ministry, and if the amended Act really convinces me, then I will support it. I say that because what we have actually said to the ministry is that we do still need the ISA. Just that we feel it should not apply to politicians and others. We should apply the Act to those who are real terrorists, those whom we feel will create problems for the country. Then that is proper and I would agree to that.

2 Do you think Malaysia should be a secular or an Islamic state? Why?

Even at this moment we are neither an Islamic state nor are we secular. We have been administering the country our own way, so I think there is no necessity for us to declare whether this country is Islamic or secular. There is no point. Of course Islam is the official religion, but we are not an Islamic state.

3 How do you define your role as an elected MP? Does Parliament provide you with the necessary infrastructure and support to fulfill your role?

As a member of the Barisan Nasional, of course the government provides us with funds, though not for infrastructure. And let us look at the Members of Parliament in the Philippines or Indonesia, for example. In Indonesia, every single MP has around seven personal assistants and researchers. In the Philippines, they have four. Here we do not even have one.

That is actually quite a problem because as MPs, we are trying to implement what we plan well. So I hope that the government will see it fit to provide MPs with full assistance so we can then do our jobs better.

4 Would you support a Freedom of Information Act? Why or why not?

Of course I would support that. But it would depend on the angle and issue.

The thing about our reporters or people who deal in communications is that we give them freedom, but they choose to talk about somebody’s life. For example, they highlight somebody’s marriage and all that, but this is somebody’s private life. What I mean is that I support [freedom of information if] it is to do with any issue involving the people.

5 If there was one thing you could do to strengthen parliamentary democracy in Malaysia, what would it be?

I think first things first, the ruling government should consider setting up proper committees for Parliament. I think it is only in Malaysia that we do not implement the committee system. For example, in countries like the Philippines, Indonesia, the UK and the US, they follow this system.

So let us say this particular ministry wants to propose a budget. It has to go through a proper committee. Then if the committee is satisfied, the budget would be approved. But here, from the beginning until now, we have this system that nobody dares to change.

Therefore when it is time for [debating] the allocations, the debate is only in Parliament and we have no say. As a lawmaker, we have no say as to how to put the budget together.

6 Do you believe in separation of powers between the government, Parliament and judiciary? Why or why not?

Of course. That is why I would propose setting up those committees. Everything should be separate. In this country we are under three bodies — the government, the judiciary and Parliament. I would not say Parliament is being overshadowed, but now it is not really what we want. Parliamentarians are actually lawmakers, so they should be respected, but now it looks somewhat like the executive is all powerful. favicon

For other MP responses, see Full MP list

The Nut Graph needs your support

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Related Stories

Filed Under: MP Watch Tagged With: Bung Moktar Radin, Kinabatangan, member of Parliament, MP Watch

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kumar says

    April 30, 2010 at 8:24 pm

    If you do not wish to be in the limelight, then don’t run for public office and don’t be in the limelight for other matters. Simple! You can’t choose what is private and what is public once you are there!

  2. Kong Kek Kuat says

    May 1, 2010 at 6:36 pm

    “Of course I would support that. But it would depend on the angle and issue.

    The thing about our reporters or people who deal in communications is that we give them freedom, but they choose to talk about somebody’s life. For example, they highlight somebody’s marriage and all that, but this is somebody’s private life. What I mean is that I support [freedom of information if] it is to do with any issue involving the people.”

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…

Primary Sidebar

Search

Twitter

My Tweets

Recent Comments

  • Wave33 on The Nut Graph stops publication
  • Adam on The Nut Graph stops publication
  • PSTan on The Nut Graph stops publication
  • PSTan on The Nut Graph stops publication
  • Andre Lai on The Nut Graph stops publication

Recent News

  • The Nut Graph stops publication
  • Nasihat tentang sepupu yang mengganggu perasaan
  • Uncommon Sense with Wong Chin Huat: The Sunni-Shia split and the answer to Muslim unity
  • Why Malaysia needs the national unity bills
  • Challenging government in the digital age: Lessons from Kidex
  • Najib’s failure
  • Babi, anjing, pondan: Jijik orang Islam Malaysia
  • Kidex and the law – What the government’s not telling you
  • Beyond Dyana Sofya
  • Uncommon Sense with Wong Chin Huat: Does Malaysia need hate speech laws?

Tags

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Anwar Ibrahim Barisan Nasional BN Bukit Selambau by-election dap Deborah Loh Ding Jo-Ann Election Commission elections Found in Malaysia Found in Quotation Gan Pei Ling government high court Hishammuddin Hussein ISA islam Jacqueline Ann Surin Khairy Jamaluddin KW Mak Lim Guan Eng Malaysia MCA Menteri Besar MP Watch Muhyiddin Yassin muslim Najib Razak Pakatan Rakyat Parliament Parti Keadilan Rakyat pas Penang Perak PKR police politics prime minister Selangor Shanon Shah Umno Wong Chin Huat Zedeck Siew

Footer

  • About The Nut Graph
  • Who Are We?
  • Our Contributors
  • Past Contributors
  • Guest Contributors
  • Editorial Policy
  • Comments & Columns
  • Copyright Policy
  • Web Accessibility Policy
  • Privacy Policy
The Nut Graph

© 2023 The Nut Graph