Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing has defended his low attendance in the Dewan Rakyat, saying he has never actually been absent, but only working from his office inside the Parliament building to manage ministry duties more efficiently, especially preparations for Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VMY 2026).
Tiong was recently listed among the top 10 MPs with the lowest attendance rate on Calmic‘s Malaysian MP Dashboard, but in an interview with Sin Chew Daily, he insisted that the perception was misleading.
“I was in my office, not absent”
According to him, he frequently remains in his Parliament office during proceedings because it allows him to monitor the session via live broadcast while simultaneously handling urgent ministry matters.
They see me not inside the hall and assume I’m absent. In fact, I’m watching the session from my office.
Every minister’s office has a TV, and I can monitor the proceedings at any time,” he said.
Says office work is more efficient
Tiong, who is also Bintulu MP and president of PDP, explained that he only enters the Dewan Rakyat when it is time for his ministry’s question-and-answer segment or when he needs to deliver a winding-up speech.
He added that his officers are always present in the hall to take notes, while he multitasks in the office to keep ministry operations running smoothly.
Sometimes I choose to stay in my office to handle ministry affairs. When it’s time for my ministry’s session, I walk into the hall. Every summary has always been personally delivered by me.”
Preparing for Visit Malaysia 2026
Tiong stressed that his time is heavily occupied with preparations for Visit Malaysia Year 2026, a national campaign aiming to attract millions of tourists and boost the country’s revenue.
I may not be in the hall often, but it does not mean I am not present. Preparing for Visit Malaysia 2026 involves a lot of work and coordination. It’s not as simple as the public thinks.”
His explanation comes amid public criticism and parliamentary data showing consistently low in-hall attendance among some cabinet members.
