There is no provision or precedent for impeachment in the Dewan Rakyat, PKR vice-president N Surendran said today.
He was responding to Senator S Nallakaruppan’s statement about “exploring the possibility of initiating an impeachment process” against Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim for allegedly lying to Parliament.
Surendran (right), who is also a practising lawyer, revealed that in England the impeachment process was last used over 200 years ago in Lord Melville’s case, and that is now obsolete.
“The rationale of the impeachment remedy was to hold ministers and the executive accountable in the administration of the country.
“To suggest that it be used against the opposition leader shows a gross misunderstanding of the impeachment process.
“With the evolution of the motion of no confidence, select committees and close parliamentary scrutiny and questioning, the old impeachment mechanism has become archaic,” said Surendran in a statement.
Impeachment is a procedure to charge a public official with improper conduct in office before a proper tribunal.
He was responding to Senator S Nallakaruppan’s statement about “exploring the possibility of initiating an impeachment process” against Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim for allegedly lying to Parliament.
Surendran (right), who is also a practising lawyer, revealed that in England the impeachment process was last used over 200 years ago in Lord Melville’s case, and that is now obsolete.“The rationale of the impeachment remedy was to hold ministers and the executive accountable in the administration of the country.
“To suggest that it be used against the opposition leader shows a gross misunderstanding of the impeachment process.
“With the evolution of the motion of no confidence, select committees and close parliamentary scrutiny and questioning, the old impeachment mechanism has become archaic,” said Surendran in a statement.
Impeachment is a procedure to charge a public official with improper conduct in office before a proper tribunal.
Yesterday, it was reported that Malaysian United Indian Party president Nallakaruppan announced the possibility of initiating animpeachment process against Anwar for allegedly lying to Parliament.
The former one-time Anwar’s tennis partner also announced the appointment of Muhammad Shafee Abdullah to represent him in the opposition leader’s RM100 million defamation suit.
Anwar had filed the suit on Monday against Nallakaruppan andUtusan Malaysia over the alleged derogatory remarks he made and carried on the front page of the Umno-owned Malay daily on March 20.
Surendran claimed that Nallakaruppan’s and Shafee’s statements were of ignorance and said they were parroting the same old charges of sexual misconduct which were fabricated by successive Barisan Nasional governments against Anwar with the collaboration of the police and the attorney-general.
'PM engaged in personal attacks'
“The rakyat have never believed these shameful lies, and have thrown in their support, trust and sympathy behind Anwar and the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition which he leads.
“It is preposterous and bizarre for Shafee (left) and Nalla to threaten Anwar with the ancient and superseded impeachment process.
“Shafee’s and Nalla’s statements also show breathtaking ignorance of impeachment and parliamentary procedure in Malaysia and the Commonwealth where there is no provision or precedent for impeachment in the Dewan Rakyat,” he added.
The PKR vice-president said Shafee by using the example of former US president Bill Clinton’s impeachment bid, shows his utter incomprehension of the impeachment mechanism in America, where it was used to remove members of the federal government such as the president.
He described this development as Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s and the BN’s failure to engage in rational debate and discourse with the opposition coalition.
“Instead, Najib and Umno continue to rely upon low and baseless personal attacks by the likes of Nalla and his cohorts, which are prominently reported in the Umno-owned electronic and print media,” he said.
“It is preposterous and bizarre for Shafee (left) and Nalla to threaten Anwar with the ancient and superseded impeachment process.“Shafee’s and Nalla’s statements also show breathtaking ignorance of impeachment and parliamentary procedure in Malaysia and the Commonwealth where there is no provision or precedent for impeachment in the Dewan Rakyat,” he added.
The PKR vice-president said Shafee by using the example of former US president Bill Clinton’s impeachment bid, shows his utter incomprehension of the impeachment mechanism in America, where it was used to remove members of the federal government such as the president.
He described this development as Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s and the BN’s failure to engage in rational debate and discourse with the opposition coalition.
“Instead, Najib and Umno continue to rely upon low and baseless personal attacks by the likes of Nalla and his cohorts, which are prominently reported in the Umno-owned electronic and print media,” he said.
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