KUALA LUMPUR: Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia labelled Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Gelang Patah) as “shameless” for still attending Parliament proceedings despite being suspended for six months.
He said that the DAP advisor’s action clearly went against Dewan Rakyat’s rules because the decision to suspend Lim - beginning yesterday - was made through the voice of members of parliament (MPs), not himself.
In fact, Pandikar Amin described Lim’s behaviour as a test case because it was the first time that it has happened in the history of Parliament where an MP disregarded a ruling.
“By right, when one is suspended, one must not attend (Dewan Rakyat) proceedings. This is the first case (this has happened). But I have read a book by British Parliament Speaker Selwyn Lloyd, where it was written that should there be a belligerent member of parliament, there is a choice of “closing one eye.”
“What benefit is there for me to order the police to lift him out. When a decision is made, a member of parliament must leave in order not to follow proceedings.
“But there are still (those who are) bold, he has a big licence (to come and go). He can do whatever he wants. To ridicule the Speaker, to insult the Speaker, he can do so because he is a people’s representative right?
“Yes, the opposition has a big licence. (For them) everyone is at fault, only they are right, so never mind then,” he said.
He was speaking to the media after launching a biography book of Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid that is titled ‘Mahdzir Khalid: Semua Kita Serupa’ (Mahdzir Khalid: We are all the same), at Parliament here today.
Pandikar Amin was explaining the presence of Lim in Dewan Rakyat proceedings today, which triggered questions on the actual status of the MP.
Meanwhile, Mahdzir said that the people must reject Lim and his party (DAP) as he displayed stubborness and arrogance by being present in Dewan Rakyat in contravention of the suspension.
Imagine if (the opposition) becomes the government, I do not think that they would compromise in all matters. (The opposition) should be rejected and anyone who joins the party, led by Lim, should be rejected,” he said.
Reports by Mohd Anwar Patho Rohman, Meor Riduwan Meor Ahmad, Hidir Reduan, Luqman Arif Abdul Karim and Nor Ain Mohamed Radhi