PARLIAMENT | The government has deferred its parliamentary motion to suspend Perikatan Nasional chief whip Takiyuddin Hassan over his remarks on the Rusila mosque incident in September.
The decision came following a fiery two-hour debate and interjections between government and opposition MPs, who argued whether Takiyuddin (PN-Kota Bharu) should be penalised through a voting process in the august house or be referred to its privileges committee first.
Deputy Home Minister Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said the government agreed to defer its motion against Takiyuddin to the next Parliament session.
“Tan Sri (Dewan Rakyat speaker Johari Abdul), we understand, and after listening to all the arguments and weighing the points that were presented, on behalf of the government, I request that this motion be postponed and brought to the next session. Thank you,” Shamsul said in his winding-up speech.
According to the motion submitted by Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, the government was seeking the Dewan Rakyat to suspend Takiyuddin for six months over his remarks that allegedly painted a negative image of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and its officers.
This was in connection with Takiyuddin’s remarks in the Dewan Rakyat on Oct 22, where he raised an issue with MMEA for conducting an exercise at the Rusila mosque in Terengganu on Sept 19 and compared it to the 1985 Memali incident.
In the incident 40 years ago, the police had tried to arrest PAS leader Ibrahim Mahmood and his followers in Kampung Memali, Kedah, which resulted in a confrontation that led to the deaths of 14 villagers and four police personnel.
Meanwhile, in the September MMEA training exercise, several personnel conducting commando training stopped and prayed at the Rusila mosque, raising alarm among locals and PAS politicians as the mosque is next to PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s home.
‘Refer to privileges committee instead’
The government’s motion received strong pushback from key opposition leaders, including parliamentary opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin and Bersatu vice-presidents Ronald Kiandee (PN-Beluran) and Radzi Jidin (PN-Putrajaya).
Among others, they took issue with Saifuddin moving the motion as a government proposal under Standing Order 27(3).
PN MPs also urged to refer the matter to the parliamentary privileges committee, which they said would give Takiyuddin a chance to be heard and defend his case instead of being penalised through a “tyranny of the majority” voting process.
“The privileges committee will prepare a report, correct? The report will be brought here (Dewan Rakyat) and placed on the (MPs’) table; everyone can go through it.
“It will put in detail what happened there (in the committee). Then the members of the House can vote,” said Takiyuddin.
“So, I am asking it to be sent there first, let the committee hear me and send their report here, then call for a vote on whether to suspend me or not - that is what I am asking for,” he said when debating the motion.
However, several government MPs disagreed with the call to refer the PAS secretary-general to the committee.
They included Syahredzan Johan (Harapan-Bangi), who argued that Takiyuddin’s remarks had hurt MMEA’s image and everyone should be held responsible for their statement.
Yesterday, PN MPs held a press conference in Parliament, demanding justice for Takiyuddin regarding the matter.
The home minister had proposed a similar motion as the eighth agenda item in yesterday’s Dewan Rakyat order paper. However, it eventually did not get tabled.
Today, the motion was instead prioritised as the first item in the Dewan Rakyat’s order paper, immediately following the morning Minister’s Question Time session. - Mkini
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