Private life of MP no grounds for impeachment

What happens in the private life of an MP cannot be grounds for his or her impeachment, says a Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker.

"His or her private life cannot be used (as grounds for moving for impeachment). It is different if it is a criminal offence or he (she) has betrayed the country," deputy speaker Wan Junaidy Jaafar told reporters in the Parliament lobby today.

Wan Junaidy was responding to reports that a group of senators and MPs opposed to Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim was planning to table a motion in Parliament to impeach the Permatang Pauh parliamentarian.

He told reporters that there were no provisions in the parliamentary standing orders, the laws of Malaysia and the federal constitution for an MP to be impeached.

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.

However, Wan Junaidy argued, even if such a motion or Bill is passes through, removing an MP from office has to be based on legal provisions that allow this to be done.

[More to follow]