PARLIAMENT | The absence of Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad and his deputy, Hanifah Hajar Taib, from the Dewan Rakyat when a health-related question was raised today drew criticism from several MPs.

Zahir Hassan (Harapan-Wangsa Maju) had asked the health minister to state whether the ministry plans to increase primary health service capacity, including the construction or upgrading of health clinics in the parliamentary constituency.

He had stated that Wangsa Maju was the most densely populated parliamentary constituency in Malaysia, at 14,059 people per sq km.

However, when the time came for the question to be answered, deputy Dewan Rakyat speaker Alice Lau informed the House that neither the health minister nor his deputy was present in the chambers, and invited Wan Saiful Wan Jan (PN-Tasek Gelugor) to raise question number four.