Wan Junaidi: Motion to impeach Anwar can be raised in Parliament

KUALA LUMPUR -- The motion to impeach Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim can be brought up in the Dewan Rakyat and it would be up to the Speaker whether to accept or to reject it.

Deputy Speaker Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Wan Jaafar pointed out however that the removal of a member from his position needed certain procedures which are not provided for in the Dewan Rakyat's standing order at the moment.

He added that a motion concerning the personal conduct of a person outside the House does not allow the automatic removal of the person from his or her post, except if it concerns a criminal offence or treason to the king and country, and the person has been convicted and sentenced.

"But it still needs to be debated in the house. We are guided by three elements, namely the regulations, the law and the constitution.

"None of these three elements allows a space and opportunity for a member to make a motion to impeach another," he said.

"It is up to the discretion of the speaker to accept or reject a Private Member's Bill or a motion to debate such a matter in the House," he told Bernama, here today.

He was asked to comment on the remark by Kulim Bandar Baharu member of parliament Datuk Zulkifli Noordin yesterday that members of the House have the right to bring before the Rights and Privileges Committee any member, including the opposition leader, for certain and specific issues.

His statement was echoed by Malaysia's Representative to the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) Datuk Seri Dr Muhammad Shafee Abdullah who said that the motion can be done because the post of opposition leader held by Anwar is an official post and that he played an important role in a parliamentary system.

Pasir Mas MP Datuk Ibrahim Ali believed that if the matter is debated, the impeachment motion would be successful owing to the strength in the number of Barisan Nasional members, who would also be supported by independent members.

-Bernama