Speaker rejects motion to debate EC ruling on door-to-door campaigning

KUALA LUMPUR: Attempts by a lawmaker to debate the need for police permits for door-to-door campaigning in Tanjung Piai was rejected in the Dewan Rakyat.

The matter was raised by Tan Sri Noh Omar (BN-Tanjung Karang) who wanted the matter debated and the police permit requirement to be rescinded.

Noh's insistence came after he received a letter from Speaker Tan Sri Mohamad Arrif Md Yusof informing him that his notice, which was submitted on Wednesday (Nov 13), to debate the issue had been rejected.

"In his reply to me, the Speaker said that the police would not enforce the requirement.

"Can you confirm this before the House that this will be done today?" he asked Deputy Speaker Nga Kor Ming, who was presiding over House proceedings on Thursday (Nov 14).

In response, Nga reminded Noh that he had no jurisdiction to give orders to the police as they came under the jurisdiction of the Home Ministry.

"This comes under the Home Ministry, and the Home Minister has already answered that the permit requirement will not be enforced by the police," Nga said.

He also told Noh that it was inaccurate of him to say that the requirement was a new ruling from the Election Commission (EC) as it was a police requirement.

"Also the matter was answered earlier by the minister.

"For this reason, your motion was rejected and my decision is final," Nga said.

Earlier in the day, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong informed lawmakers that the police had issued 101 permits for door-to-door campaigning in Tanjung Piai since Nov 2.

Liew also told the House that permit requirement was not a new ruling by the EC.

At a later press conference, Noh insisted the police immediately rescind the door-to-door permit requirement as there were only two days left to campaign for the by-election set for Saturday (Nov 16). - Star