KUALA LUMPUR: Questions on what the government plans to do with initiatives by the previous Barisan Nasional administration - namely the 1Malaysia People’s Housing Project (PR1MA), 1Malaysia Training Scheme (SL1M) and Mass Rapid Transit 3 (MRT3) - are set to dominate the Dewan Rakyat sitting today.
Based on the Dewan Rakyat order paper for Thursday, Ahmad Hassan (Warisan - Papar) will open the proceedings by posing a question to Transport Minister Anthony Loke on the government’s view regarding low-cost carrier AirAsia’s suggestion that it shift its operations to Terminal 2 of the Kota Kinabalu International Airport, as well as its plans to fly from the Sabah capital to India, China, Japan, South Korea and Australia.
Questions on the government’s plans for the previous administration’s projects will begin with Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin, who will be fielding a question from Datuk Mohd Nizar Haji Zakaria (BN - Parit) on whether there is any guarantee and commitment by the government that the PR1MA project will be continued.
Zuraida had previously said that the ministry would launch a probe into PR1MA’s business activities, dealings and performance. PR1MA, she said, had only completed around 11,000 residential units compared to its target of 500,000 homes which were to be delivered by year-end.
Meanwhile, Dr Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh (Pas - Pasir Puteh) will be asking Human Resources Minister M. Kula Segaran on the status of the SL1M programme, and whether it would be continued or dropped.
SL1M, created in 2011, was aimed at aimed at alleviating the plight of unemployed youth by matching the skills of graduates and the needs of companies.
The programme had reportedly managed to help 46,700 people secure jobs.
Another BN initiative that is set to come under the microscope is the MRT3 project. Nancy Shukri (BN - Batang Sadong) will be asking Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng on whether the government plans to move ahead with the urban transportation project.
On May 30, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had said that the government would be ditching the MRT3 project, which he said would cost up to RM40 billion to construct.
MRT3, also known as the MRT Circle Line, was initially scheduled to be 40km in length, 32km of which would be underground with 26 stations planned along the route.
Che Alias Hamid (Pas - Kemaman) will be asking Works Minister Baru Bian on whether the ministry would be fulfilling its pledge to abolish toll charges for the nation’s highways, as stated in the Pakatan Harapan manifesto.
Cost of living will also take centrestage in the Dewan Rakyat, courtesy of a question by Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan (BN - Pontian).
Ahmad will be asking Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to state 10 main reasons why the majority of the prices of goods have not gone down, as well as measures and a timeline on when it can be resolved.
The possible abolishment of the death penalty will also be up for discussion. Ramkarpal Singh (DAP - Bukit Gelugor) is set to ask Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on whether a moratorium would be introduced, if the death
penalty was abolished.
Ramkarpal’s brother, Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo, will take a question from Datuk Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah (BN - Lenggong), on what the ministry plans to do to eradicate monopolisation in the private sector, such as in the case of Astro in the broadcasting industry.
