PAS President’s Empty Parliament Seat Is Getting A Lot Of Attention

Universiti Malaya academic Dr Mohammad Tawfik Yaakub says PAS should transparently explain Abdul Hadi Awang’s health condition and attendance record amid questions over his absence from the Budget 2027 tabling.

PAS president and Marang MP Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang has long faced scrutiny over his attendance record in Parliament, with the influential opposition figure reportedly among the MPs with the poorest attendance records.

The issue is not new. In 2022, the former Terengganu Menteri Besar defended his attendance record, arguing that parliamentary sittings should not be equated with attending school.

At the time, Abdul Hadi, who was also the Special Envoy to the Middle East, said he had other responsibilities outside Parliament and wanted to give younger MPs from his party more opportunities to participate in debates.

He explained that each political party had its own quota for MPs to speak in Parliament.

Hence, Abdul Hadi’s absence from last Friday’s tabling of Budget 2027 did not come as a surprise to some observers.

The reason given was that he was still unwell, according to PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.

However, despite his reported health condition, Abdul Hadi continued to deliver his weekly Dhuha religious lecture at Masjid Rusila, located near his home, on Friday.

Despite missing the previous parliamentary sitting, Abdul Hadi attended today’s session.

PAS Urged To Clarify Abdul Hadi’s Health And Attendance Record

Universiti Malaya senior lecturer in political science, public administration and development studies Dr Mohammad Tawfik Yaakub urged all parties not to speculate about Abdul Hadi’s condition.

He said that if Abdul Hadi had delivered his Dhuha lecture at Masjid Rusila on the day Budget 2027 was tabled, it could raise questions among the public.

“However, the lecture took place in the morning, at a different time, and does not in itself prove that he was well enough to attend the parliamentary Budget sitting in the afternoon.

“In my view, PAS should explain his condition and attendance record transparently and openly for public knowledge,” he said.

Tawfik said the public had the right to seek an explanation for Abdul Hadi’s absence from parliamentary proceedings.

Low Attendance Raises Questions Over MPs’ Responsibilities

Mohammad Tawfik said MPs had a responsibility to represent their constituents, participate in debates and scrutinise policies, including the national Budget.

“For me, attendance is not the only measure of an MP’s performance. However, a repeatedly low attendance rate requires an explanation and raises questions about the extent to which an MP is fulfilling the mandate entrusted to them by voters,” he said.

Abdul Hadi’s Parliament Attendance Record

Despite his frequent absences from Parliament, Abdul Hadi was not the MP with the highest number of absences last year, according to the NST.

Instead, former Defence Minister and Sembrong MP Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein topped the list, missing 69 out of the 78 sitting days during the 2025 parliamentary session.

Abdul Hadi came second with 65 days of absence, followed by Parti Warisan president and Semporna MP Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, who missed 60 sitting days.