Parliament to suspend Kit Siang

DAP leader Lim Kit Siang is expected to be suspended from Parliament following comments on alleged abuse of power by speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, October 21, 2015.

Dewan Rakyat is expected to table a motion to suspend DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang this evening after he accused speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia of abusing his power. 

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said she would table the motion this evening. 

"I will table it, wait for it this evening. The motion is completed and signed," she told reporters at the Parliament lobby.

The Gelang Patah MP on Monday said Pandikar was abusing his powers by ruling that Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) could not continue its ongoing probe into 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) following the transfer of four PAC members to the Cabinet.

Pandikar yesterday demanded that Lim apologise and retract his statement against him.

He said Lim had accused him of "abusing" his powers to "sabotage" PAC investigations into 1MDB.

"Can there be any words more insulting than this," Pandikar said.

"Since he is not here, please convey to him, if he does not apologise unconditionally and retract his remarks, a motion will be brought against him," he said.

Pandikar said failure to act against Lim would give the impression that the speaker only dared to take action against new MPs while older and experienced ones could get away scot-free.

"So I repeat, tell Gelang Patah to apologise at the next opportune time and retract his remarks, or there will be a motion against him." he said.

Pandikar did not explicitly mention the type of punishment against the veteran opposition leader, but federal lawmakers have been suspended in the past after motions were tabled against them.

N. Surendran (PKR-Padang Serai) was previously suspended twice for six months each for insulting both the Dewan Rakyat and Pandikar.

Others previously suspended include former opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Mohamed Azmin Ali (PKR-Gombak) and Gobind Singh Deo (DAP-Puchong).

It is not known if Lim has tendered his apology to Pandikar as he has not been seen in Parliament since late yesterday morning.

Attempts by The Malaysian Insider to reach Lim were to no avail.

- TMI