Puncak Borneo MP Willie Mongin (right) was handed a lesson in debating by Kimanis MP Datuk Seri Anifah Aman. -NSTP/File pic

By Syed Umar Ariff

April 9, 2019

KUALA LUMPUR: First-term Pakatan Harapan lawmaker from Puncak Borneo Willie Mongin was given a crash course in the finer points of debating.

The lesson came from non other than veteran five term Kimanis federal law maker Datuk Seri Anifah Aman.

The former foreign minister, who is now an independent interjected during Beluran member of Parliament Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee’s debate on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2019 and expressed his support for the effort.

Willie, who then interjected, remarked that those who did not support the bill should be considered “traitors”.

This saw several opposition MPs get up from their benches and demand that Willie retract his mention of “traitors“,

The lawmakers said that in a democracy, no one should be labeled as such if they vote against the mainstream.

Anifah then stood and said: “There is no substitute for experience. We have been here for more than 15 years.

“You are new, so I forgive you,” he said, silencing both the house and Willie, briefly.

Earlier, Gabungan Parti Sarawak federal lawmaker from Batang Sadong Datin Paduka Nancy Shukri said her bloc had never rejected efforts to restore the rights of Sabah and Sarawak.

She admitted that progress was slow, but the previous government had helped Sabah and Sarawak immensely.

Nancy and Anifah had jointly chaired the Cabinet Committee to look into the restoration of the rights of Sabah and Sarawak under MA63.

“We were never against the efforts. I had jointly chaired (with Anifah), we did many things, especially administratively.

“And those on the other side, please don’t say we are all bad here. We did a lot.

“You guys even went to schools built by the previous government. Do not be ‘kacang lupakan kulit’.”

The bill seeks to restore Sabah’s and Sarawak’s status as regional territories.

The amendment will specify all the constituent States of the Federation by restoring, with modifications, the position of Clause (2) of Article 1 of the Federal Constitution during the formation of Malaysia in 1963.