MPs skipping parliament has long been a problem in Malaysia. It’s not uncommon to turn on the TV to watch a parliamentary sitting and notice droves of empty seats. The most mind-boggling aspect is that an MP, which literally stands for Member of Parliament, can be absent from parliament for a period of six months before Parliament may – not must, but may – declare their seat vacant. 

In response to this, political activist and pro-democracy advocate Roshinee Mookaiah recently launched a ‘Dilarang Ponteng Parliament’ campaign. She’s collecting at least 500 petition signatures, which would make the petition eligible for an MP to sponsor and table it in Parliament. We speak to Roshinee about her campaign and more.