House speaker urges Paetongtarn to attend Parliament sessions
House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha said on Friday that he hoped Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra would visit Parliament this year to address inquiries from the House of Representatives.
His remarks came after MPs criticised the prime minister for not attending Parliament sessions last year to respond to their queries.
Wan Noor said the government whip will relay the MPs’ concerns to the premier, adding that the opposition’s role is to ask questions and the government must provide clarifications. He said both sides must fulfil their duties as elected representatives.
“The government’s credibility may suffer if it avoids addressing inquiries. Therefore, it should attend Parliament, especially on Thursdays, when opposition questions are raised,” he said.
He added that the government should also attend Parliament on Wednesdays to review questions in advance.
Wan Noor acknowledged that the government’s availability would dictate its ability to address live questions, recalling his time as a government member when he appreciated the opportunity to respond to opposition queries.
He said that MPs should not direct all questions solely to the prime minister, as some issues fall under the purview of specific ministers. “It’s crucial to question ministers responsible for each ministry to ensure relevant answers,” he said, leaving it to the public to judge the adequacy of the government’s explanations.
