Latest news with #Hansard
The Star
2 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Dr Wee: Do your homework first
KUALA LUMPUR: Amending the Control of Supplies (Amendment) Act 2021 (Act 122) was never about regulating the use of subsidised liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), said Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (pic). The MCA president, who referred to parliamentary hansards in 2021, said the amendments only gave wider enforcement powers to Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry officers. Dr Wee also said the amendments were debated by numerous MPs from both sides of the political divide before it was passed in Parliament in March 2022. 'Not a single MP mentioned the permit for three subsidised LPG gas cylinders or the use of commercial LPG for restaurants,' said Dr Wee in a video posted on Facebook on Sunday. Dr Wee said when then Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi was giving a Parliament reply in March 2022, he never mentioned the regulation on subsidised gas cylinders. 'Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, you were not at the Dewan Rakyat then, but you could have checked the Hansard. Do your homework before accusing me,' Dr Wee said. Armizan, the current Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister, had claimed that the law behind the enforcement, where eateries are required to use 14kg commercial LPG cylinders, was passed when Dr Wee was in the Cabinet in 2021. 'Maybe the regulation on the use of cooking gas in a subsidised gas cylinder not exceeding 42kg was an internal ministerial order, or an instruction from the administration,' added Dr Wee. Dr Wee said the law behind the enforcement where eateries are required to use 14kg commercial liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) was introduced since the 2000s, but it was never enforced until the first Pakatan Harapan government in 2019. 'In early 2019, the domestic trade and consumer affairs minister issued orders making it compulsory for restaurants, coffee shops and hawkers to use commercial LPG. 'But Chong Chieng Jen, who was the deputy minister, announced the postponement of that policy following public concerns over price hikes on food. He said food and beverages (F&B) operators are allowed to use subsidised LPG,' said Dr Wee. 'And now, they are trying to enforce it again under the Madani government in 2025.' He also demanded an apology from Armizan. 'You should apologise to me for your carelessness. As the spokesman of the people, I should have not been sacrificed,' he said. Meanwhile, Armizan shot back at Dr Wee, saying he was talking about the Control of Supplies (Amendment) Regulations 2021 during a press conference on June 5 and not the Control of Supplies (Amendment) Act 2021 which the MCA president was referring to. 'It is surely impossible to find the legal provisions that I was referring to because as I mentioned A, he was referring to Z,' said Armizan in a statement on Facebook yesterday. Previously, Armizan had said Ops Gasak is being carried out under three existing laws – the Control of Supplies Act 1961, the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 and the Control of Supplies (Amendment) Regulations 2021. Armizan had also said that the regulation was enforced during the previous administration in 2021, of which Dr Wee had served as a Cabinet Minister. Yesterday, Dr Wee had said though he served as a Cabinet Minister in 2021, he has never been involved in approving such regulations. On Thursday, Armizan had said that small and micro-scale F&B operators will be exempted from enforcement under the ongoing Ops Gasak Armizan said the Cabinet agreed to review the regulations on the use of subsidised LPG cylinders by such traders, after recommendations submitted by the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry. Ops Gasak, which began on May 1 and will run until Oct 31, is meant to curb illegal activities such as decanting (transferring gas from subsidised LPG cylinders to non-subsidised ones), smuggling and the misuse of subsidised LPG by medium and large-scale industrial sectors. Dr Wee had said Ops Gasak should have focused on large-scale operations and at the borders, and not on petty traders and hawkers. The crux of the issue, he said, is the smuggling activities at the borders and abuse of targeted subsidies. The Petaling Jaya Coffeeshop Association has also said a switch to commercial LPG by hawkers could lead to consumers paying higher food prices.
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Make sure you've done your research before pointing fingers, Wee tells Armizan
KUALA LUMPUR: MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong has called on Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali to provide evidence supporting his claim that Wee was involved in approving the Control of Supplies (Amendment) Regulations 2021. In a video posted on Facebook today, Wee strongly refuted Armizan's statement and demanded proof for the allegation. "I have reviewed the parliamentary Hansard and the relevant bill to confirm which section mentions that a permit is required for using more than three cylinders of subsidised gas. "Furthermore, are food and beverage businesses actually prohibited from using subsidised liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)?" he asked. Previously, the media reported that Armizan had reminded Wee to review the regulations that were enacted when the former transport minister was in the cabinet. Armizan was quoted as saying that the Control of Supplies (Amendment) Regulations 2021 — which stipulate that any party using more than 42kg of LPG is required to apply for a Scheduled Controlled Goods Permit — had already been enforced since Oct 15, 2021, under the previous administration when Wee was a member of the cabinet. Wee demanded that Armizan issue an apology for alleging his involvement in approving regulations related to supply control while he was in the cabinet in 2021. The Ayer Hitam member of parliament said that based on a review of the 2021 parliamentary Hansard, the amendment at the time was solely aimed at granting broader enforcement powers to officers of the then Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry. He said the amendment to the Control of Supplies Act (Amendment) 2021 was never intended to regulate the use of subsidised LPG. "I reviewed every line in the Hansard of the Dewan Rakyat during the debate, where MPs from constituencies such as Jempol, Bayan Baru, Pasir Gudang, Jelutong, Kota Melaka, Bukit Bendera, Pokok Sena, and Sepang presented their arguments. "However, not a single MP at the time raised the issue of requiring a permit for three cylinders of subsidised LPG, nor did anyone discuss the commercial use of LPG by food outlets," he said. He said then Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi, in his reply in parliament in March 2022, also made no mention of any regulation concerning subsidised gas cylinders. "Datuk Armizan, why fabricate stories and make baseless accusations against me? "You weren't even in the Dewan Rakyat at the time, but you can always check the Hansard. "Do your homework before accusing me. "You're being unfair to me, you know? Or at the very least, just call Nanta to get confirmation. "Surely you have his phone number? If not, I can give it to you," he said. Wee said Armizan should not have accused him of being involved in the amendment related to the requirement for storing more than three cylinders of subsidised LPG and questioned the accuracy of the minister's source of information. He said the regulation concerning the use of subsidised LPG cylinders not exceeding 42kg might merely be an internal directive or administrative instruction from the ministry, and not part of the 2021 amendment. Wee said the law was never enforced until it was first implemented under the Pakatan Harapan 1.0 administration in 2019, before being revived again through Op Gasak this year. He said Armizan should issue an apology for the confusion and the allegations made against him. "You (Armizan) owe me an apology for your mistake.
The Star
2 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Don't make accusations without basis, Dr Wee tells Armizan
KUALA LUMPUR: Amendments to the Control of Supplies (Amendment) Act 2021 (Act 122) was never about regulating the use of subsidised liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong. The MCA President, who referred to the 2021 parliamentary Hansards, said the amendments only gave wider enforcement powers to Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry officers. He said the amendments were debated by numerous MPs before it was passed in Parliament in 2021. "Not a single MP mentioned the permit for three subsidised LPG gas cylinders and the use of commercial LPG for restaurants," Dr Wee said in a video posted on social media on Sunday (June 8). He said when then-domestic trade and cost of living minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi gave a Parliament reply in March 2022, he never mentioned regulations about subsidised gas cylinders. "Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, you were not at the Dewan Rakyat then but you could have checked the Hansard – do your homework before accusing me," he said. Armizan, who is Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister, had claimed that the law where eateries are required to use 14kg commercial LPG cylinders, was passed when Dr Wee was part of the Cabinet in 2021. "Maybe the regulations on the use of gas in subsidised gas cylinders not exceeding 42kg was an internal ministerial order, or it could be an instruction from the administration," he said. Dr Wee added that the law was never enforced until the first Pakatan Harapan government in 2019. "During early 2019, the domestic trade and consumer affairs minister issued orders making it compulsory for restaurants, coffee shops and hawkers to use commercial LPG. "But Chong Chieng Jen, who was the deputy minister then, announced a postponement of that policy following concerns food prices may go up. "And now, they are trying to enforce it again under the Madani government in 2025," he said. Dr Wee also demanded an apology from Armizan. "You should apologise to me for your carelessness," he said, adding he was acting as "the spokesman of the people". On Thursday (June 5), Armizan said small and micro-scale food and beverage operators would be exempt from enforcement under the Ops Gasak. Ops Gasak, which began on May 1 until Oct 31, is meant to curb illegal activities such as decanting (transferring gas from subsidised LPG cylinders to non-subsidised ones), smuggling and the misuse of subsidised LPG by medium and large-scale industrial sectors. Dr Wee said Ops Gasak should have focused on large-scale operations and at borders – not petty traders and hawkers. The Ayer Hitam MP also said consumers would ultimately bear the cost of eateries using LPG for commercial use, which costs 170% more than subsidised gas for domestic purposes.
Otago Daily Times
27-05-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Tobacco industry playbook mirrored: research
New research shows coalition government MPs "closely mirrored the tobacco industry's playbook" to back their decision to repeal New Zealand's world-leading smokefree laws. University of Otago Aspire Aotearoa co-director Prof Janet Hoek said the sudden repeal of the law showed how quickly progress could be undone when politicians ignored evidence, public opinion and expert advice. She and fellow Otago researchers released a new Public Health Communication Centre briefing yesterday, showing an analysis of arguments made by the government during the rushed February 2024 repeal of the smokefree "endgame" laws. The laws would have reduced nicotine in cigarettes to non-addictive levels, drastically cut the number of tobacco retailers, and created a smokefree generation by ending cigarette sales to people born after 2009. Prof Hoek said the repeal went against the best available evidence, against the advice of the Ministry of Health and against what most New Zealanders wanted. Researchers recently reviewed the verbatim Hansard record which showed what politicians said in the House of Representatives. They compared the contents with the Policy Dystopia Model, a framework that outlines argumentative strategies that tobacco companies use to oppose policies that restrict their marketing. "Many government arguments lacked evidence and closely mirrored the tobacco industry's playbook, such as overstating fears about illegal trade and shifting blame to individuals instead of holding tobacco companies accountable," she said. Hansard recordings from the time showed a New Zealand First Party MP saying, "Our smoking rates have fallen drastically in recent times ... If those trends continue without any additional measures, [we] will hit the headline smoke-free goal". Another showed a National Party MP saying, "We're going to be a lot less punitive ... provide [people] with more choice to help them quit". And an Act Party MP said, "... we [would] have a large illegal market putting profits in the pockets of gangs ..." if the smokefree laws continued. Opposition MPs strongly opposed the repeal, raising concerns about the lack of consultation, breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi and the likely impact on health inequities. Prof Hoek said the researchers' analysis, published yesterday in BMJ journal Tobacco Control , provided evidence from the NZ Health Survey which showed the Smokefree 2025 goal was very unlikely to be achieved, particularly for Māori. The report said returning to individually-focused measures, such as smoking cessation support, shifted responsibility for smoking from tobacco companies to people who smoked. NZ data also showed the illicit tobacco trade would not put more money in the hands of gangs. It had remained stable over time, and recent analysis suggested it may have decreased. Whether deliberate or not, coalition MPs' use of arguments made by tobacco companies suggested an urgent need to restrict tobacco companies' ability to influence policy, the briefing said. "Additional measures, include introducing lobbying regulations, such as a code of conduct to govern lobbying, a register that records all lobbying activity undertaken by organisations, and legislation that would define how policy makers and officials maintain high compliance with their obligations under the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control." The briefing said these policies would increase transparency and should be an urgent priority here, and internationally. While limiting lobbying and making interactions more transparent was crucial, even these steps might not capture all the interactions between politicians, their staff, tobacco companies or the groups they support. "Researchers must thus continue to question tobacco companies' arguments, and the logic and evidence used to support these, particularly given court findings that tobacco companies deceived the public for many decades." Prof Hoek said their analysis offered a cautionary tale for other countries considering smokefree measures.
Borneo Post
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
DUN Speaker orders parts of Pending rep's speech expunged from Hansard for breaching Standing Orders
Fazzrudin said Yong's remarks appeared to impute improper motives and make unsubstantiated allegations, contrary to the decorum expected in the august House. KUCHING (May 22): State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Speaker Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar today ordered several parts of Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong's speech to be expunged from the official Hansard. The ruling was made in response to Yong's speech during the motion of appreciation for the Governor's address on Wednesday, which contained two 'pantun' references found to contravene Standing Orders 32(4), 32(5), and 32(6) concerning the use of names, improper imputations, and offensive language. 'Under Standing Order 32(6), no member shall impute improper motives to any other member or make any statement of allegation which the said member is not prepared to substantiate. 'Standing Order 32(4) prohibits the use of offensive or insulting language against fellow members, while Standing Order 32(5) bars members from referring to one another by name during debates. 'You are using his name, which violates Standing Order 32(5), while 32(6) covers improper motive and 32(4) is for insulting language,' said Mohamad Asfia. The ruling came after Tupong assemblyman Dato Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman raised the matter during the sitting today, citing a breach of Standing Order 32(6). Fazzrudin said Yong's remarks appeared to impute improper motives and make unsubstantiated allegations, contrary to the decorum expected in the august House. 'I would like to reiterate my objection under Standing Order 32, specifically concerning certain remarks made by YB Pending, which, in my view, fall squarely within the scope of Standing Order 32(6),' he said. Fazzrudin said Yong's references, while indirect, were suggestive and easily understood by the public as alluding to specific individuals. 'Although YB Pending may argue that these terms were not directly aimed at any individual, it is evident, particularly from the perspective of the layperson, that such language is suggestive and alludes to a specific person,' he said. Mohamad Asfia then ordered the DUN Secretary to expunge the relevant portions of Yong's speech from pages 62, 63, and 64 of the Hansard. Yong, meanwhile, withdrew her two 'pantun' during the sitting.
