KUALA LUMPUR: A shouting match again erupted in the Dewan Rakyat after Lim Lip Eng (PH-Kepong) dismissed a ruling by Speaker Datuk Seri Azhar Azizan Harun as “stupid”, which saw the DAP lawmaker being booted out of the House and slapped with a five-day suspension.
The altercation began right before Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s scheduled speech on Budget 2021 at 11am on Thursday (Nov 12), when Sim Tze Tzin (PH-Bayan Baru) raised a point of order.
Sim said Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing’s (GPS-Bintulu) “unsavoury remarks” against Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah should be addressed in the House, as it had gone against Standing Order 36(9), where no references shall be made in any debate on the conduct of an MP or a civil servant.
Lim Guan Eng (PH-Bagan) stood up in support of Sim, saying that Tiong should apologise for asking whether Dr Noor Hisham was fearful over his life for Covid-19.
Guan Eng added that Deputy Speaker Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said’s ruling over the matter on Wednesday (Nov 11) should be revisited.
In response, Azhar said Azalina’s ruling was final according to Standing Order 43, at which point Lip Eng stood up to protest.
“But that is a stupid ruling! The Speaker should not be in cahoots with Bintulu, ” he shouted.
Azhar demanded the Kepong MP exit the House and gave him an initial two-day suspension.
However, Lip Eng refused to exit the House despite having as many as three sergeant-at-arms standing behind him to escort him out, at which point Azhar threatened to call the police.
“I will call the police. Go out now, ” he warned.
“Chill, Speaker, ” said a defiant Lip Eng, which saw Azhar demanding the Kepong MP leave the House immediately.
Lip Eng, who defiantly insisted on staying in the hall, was subsequently slapped with a five-day suspension by Azhar as he again threatened to call the police.
MPs from both sides of the divide were then embroiled in a shouting match, where ruling coalition MPs demanded Opposition MPs stop bickering over the matter as Dr Mahathir was about to start his speech on Budget 2021.
Lip Eng subsequently left the House and Guan Eng asked Azhar whether he was willing to consider a substantive motion to deliberate Tiong’s remarks and Azalina’s ruling on Wednesday.
Guan Eng’s remarks came as Dr Mahathir stood up and was about to deliver his speech.
“They are trying to disturb Langkawi MP (Dr Mahathir). Langkawi, please don’t support DAP anymore, ” said Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim (BN-Arau), who looked visibly annoyed.
Other MPs also accused DAP of attempting to filibuster Dr Mahathir’s speech, which was already delayed by nearly 30 minutes at that point.
“The Speaker has already made a decision. Please respect the Speaker,” said Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub (BN-Machang).
Guan Eng reiterated his points before being dismissed by Azhar, who subsequently invited Dr Mahathir to deliver his speech. Finally.
At a press conference later, Guan Eng said Pakatan MPs have not given up and will table another motion in Parliament soon to deliberate Azalina’s ruling on Tiong.
“We hope the Speaker will admit that there is an oversight and that this ruling should be revisited, ” he said.
On Wednesday, Tiong triggered a shouting match in Parliament involving Opposition MPs after he asked whether Dr Noor Hisham feared for his life because he did not go to the ground in Sabah when Covid-19 cases were at an all-time high in the state.
That shouting match saw RSN Rayer (PH-Jelutong) being ejected from the House by Azalina.
In response to Tiong, Dr Noor Hisham during his daily briefing on Covid-19 denied that he and his team had been absent from Sabah, as he was there at the end of August prior to the state elections.
“The issue that we are afraid to die does not arise. As a Muslim, we accept that death can happen anywhere, not just whether we go to the ground or not.
"What is important is for us to do our duty. Our purpose is to break the chain of infection in the country.
“We can have our differences, but what is important is to break the chain of infection so that we can save the country from an increase in the number of cases and the death rate, ” said Dr Noor Hisham.
Source From the star