Member of Parliament from Lilongwe South East Steven Malondera made the request in Parliament today saying raincoats are very useful as the meetings are taking place at a time when rains are falling heavily.
According to Malondera, MPs need to wear raincoats from the carpark where they leave their vehicles to the Chamber.
Responding to the request, Leader of the House Richard Chimwendo Banda assured the 193 MPs that the matter will be taken to Parliament’s commission for attention as it is very serious.
However, Malawians on social media have bashed the legislator over the request.
Some Malawians say at a time when floods have caused devastating damage in many areas across the country, it is sad to see an MP asking for raincoats.
“How does an MP ask for Raincoats to protect himself & already highly paid MP folks, instead of asking for iron-sheets to roof houses of helpless & elderly people in his constituency, or victims of floods in Salima or elsewhere?
“What is so special about an MP to be bought umbrellas, instead of them actually proving servant leadership to internally displaced people in need due to devastating rains? This is so worrisome in terms of these so called politicians’ priorities,” wrote social media user Herbert Chawinga.
Another social media user said: “These people are confused. Today they’ll tell us about the turbulent economical conditions that this nation is going through nkumatiuza kuti tilimbe mtima (and telling us to bare the pain). Mawa akuti akufuna agule ma raincoat (tomorrow they will tell us they want to buy raincoats).
sad