Quit if Parliamentary reforms take place next year, Pandikar tells 2 DAP MPs

Parliament Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia says he will not allow two DAP MPs, who criticised him for not carrying out Parliamentary reforms, to speak if the reforms take place by early next year. – The Malaysian Insider pic, December 5, 2015.Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia said two DAP lawmakers must resign if he managed to introduce parliamentary reforms early next year, the Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club website reported.

Pandikar was referring to Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng and Tanjong MP Ng Wei Aik, who urged him to step down for allegedly failing to implement the reforms this year.

"I want them to resign or vacate their seats if the first phase of the reforms is carried out early next year during the Parliament session," the website quoted Pandikar as saying.

"If they don't resign, even if they stand up hundreds of times to talk or join the debate, I will not invite them to speak under Standing Order 35.

"They will not receive any respect from me, as the Speaker."

Standing Order 35 states that a lawmaker who wishes to speak in the house must stand up and await permission from the Speaker to speak.

Pandikar, who tendered his resignation earlier this year but retracted it, had vowed to reform Parliament as he continued his tenure as Speaker.

But Lim and Ng told a press conference on Thursday that Pandikar had achieved nothing so far, and claimed that Parliament had actually regressed.

Lim added that Pandikar had been “compromised” as a Speaker and had "lost all respect".

Pandikar told the website, BNBBC.my, that he had not been able to table any Parliamentary reforms during the last sitting as there was insufficent time.

But he said this did not mean the opportunity for reform was over.

He said Parliament could convene for a special sitting to debate emergency matters any time.

"I will still step down if the first phase of improvement is not carried out during the first sitting next year.

"But if they are carried out, I urge the two parliamentarians to resign. If they fail to do so, I consider them as having no honour."

- TMI