Parliament is serious business — but not every moment goes according to plan.
Malaysia’s Dewan Rakyat has seen its share of heated debates, political arguments and serious policy discussions. Every now and then, however, something completely unexpected happens and the chamber becomes unintentionally funny.
In Part 1 of Malaysia’s Funniest Parliament Moments, FindingOut Malaysia looks back at three lighter moments: a pop-culture misunderstanding involving Taylor Swift, a perfectly timed comeback from the Education Minister, and a piece of quiet visual comedy unfolding behind the Opposition Leader.
Watch the video below, or scroll down for the story behind each moment.
Moment 1 — A Parliamentary Misunderstanding
13 March 2024 · Dewan Rakyat
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil was speaking about Taylor Swift and her fans when an otherwise ordinary pop-culture reference suddenly caused confusion in the chamber.
Taylor Swift’s fans are commonly known as “Swifties.” But when Fahmi used the term, Deputy Speaker Ramli Mohd Nor appeared to hear something quite different — turning “Swifties” into something that sounded remarkably like “striptease.”
Fahmi quickly clarified what he meant, repeating the reference to Taylor Swift, while the misunderstanding drew amusement from those in the chamber.
It was a very short exchange, but that was precisely what made it funny: a perfectly innocent word, a momentary misunderstanding, and Parliament briefly trying to keep a straight face.
Moment 2 — A Perfectly Timed Comeback
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek was winding up her ministry’s debate when she was asked to move a little closer to the microphone.
What should have been a routine technical adjustment quickly turned into a light-hearted exchange involving Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul.
Fadhlina responded with a line that immediately brought laughter to the chamber:
“Tan Sri Speaker, my husband is watching this live.”
Sometimes parliamentary humour does not need a long argument or an elaborate joke. A quick response delivered at exactly the right moment is enough.
Moment 3 — The Great Chair Squeeze
9 November 2020 · Dewan Rakyat
In 2020, Anwar Ibrahim was Malaysia’s Opposition Leader, while Mohamad Sabu — better known as Mat Sabu — was Amanah president.
As Anwar continued delivering his speech, Mat Sabu attempted to make his way back to his seat behind him. What should have been a straightforward walk past became a small exercise in parliamentary manoeuvring.
The chair had to move. Mat Sabu had to squeeze through the narrow space. Then everything had to be carefully put back into place — all while Anwar continued speaking.
It is classic visual comedy precisely because nobody stops to make a joke about it.
Getting through a debate is one thing. Getting back to your seat is another.
More Parliament moments to come
These are only three of the lighter moments that have taken place in Malaysia’s Parliament.
Some are funny because of what was said. Others are funny because of timing, misunderstanding, or simply what happened in the background while serious business continued around them.
Which moment made you laugh the most?
Watch Malaysia’s Funniest Parliament Moments — Part 1 above, and stay tuned for Part 2 from FindingOut Malaysia.
Sources & Editorial Note
The parliamentary moments featured on this page are based on publicly available recordings and records of Dewan Rakyat proceedings.
Key sources:
Moment 1: Parliament of Malaysia — Dewan Rakyat proceedings and Hansard, 13 March 2024.
Moment 2: Berita RTM — Parliament afternoon sitting, 20 August 2025; additional close-up footage from The Star.
Moment 3: Dewan Rakyat sitting, 9 November 2020; published video reference from World of Buzz.
Source material includes Parliament of Malaysia recordings and Hansard, Berita RTM, The Star, and published footage relating to the respective incidents.
Short excerpts are presented for commentary, review, historical context and public-interest discussion. Copyright in the original third-party footage remains with the respective owners and broadcasters.
The description of these incidents as “funniest” is a subjective editorial opinion and is intended as light-hearted commentary. FindingOut Malaysia does not intend to allege misconduct, illegality or wrongdoing by any person appearing in the material.
Some promotional graphic cards contain AI-generated or digitally created illustrative imagery and should not be interpreted as documentary photographs of the incidents.