BN MPs stage walkout after two reps ejected from Parliament

PARLIAMENT | BN lawmakers today staged a mass walkout to protest Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Mohd Rashid Hasnon's decision to eject two lawmakers from the House.

Rashid had given the marching orders to Bung Moktar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan) and Tajuddin Abdul Rahman (BN-Pasir Salak) for disrupting the sitting.

"I see this as a continuous disruption from Pasir Salak and Kinabatangan, I urge the sergeant-at-arms to chase them out," he ruled.

"You do not have to chase us out. We will walk out ourselves, the House is not fair (to us)," a BN lawmaker exclaimed in response before the walkout.

Rashid made the decision after Chan Ming Kai (Harapan-Alor Setar) requested that the deputy speaker act against those who disrupted him from debating the Finance Bill 2018. 

Earlier, Bung had put up a motion to compel RSN Rayer (Harapan-Jelutong) to apologise for causing speaker Mohamad Ariff Mohd Yusof to bar MIC vice-president C Sivarraajh from the Dewan on Dec 5. 

Ariff walked back the decision earlier today, saying that Sivaraajh can continue to attend the sitting until his appeal against the court decision to vacate his Cameron Highlands seat is disposed of.

In return, Sivarraajh thanked the speaker "for knowing he had made a mistake."

Several Harapan MPs jumped and protested at the remark, claiming that Ariff had not erred in the first place.

Tajuddin and other BN MPs continued to insist that Rashid allow the motion put up by Bung, saying that it was a "matter of dignity and principle."

A verbal argument then ensued, with lawmakers calling each other "stupid" and "ill-mannered (kurang ajar)."

"The speaker had retracted his decision earlier today. But Cameron Highlands (MP) was barred from the House for two days, his was denied his right as an MP," said Ismail Sabri Yaakob (BN-Bera).

"The speaker had made the mistake for two days," he added.

Wong Hon Wai (Harapan-Bukit Bendera) then defended Ariff by insisting that the speaker did not retract his ruling but he simply made a ruling over the matter.

It was Sivarraajh who brought shame to himself, he added.

Rashid, who tried to take control of the situation, appeared to accidentally admit the speaker had 'corrected' his decision.

"The speaker had made his ruling and his ruling was final. (He) had corrected it today," he said.

Pausing a moment, Rashid the said, "If (BN MPs) want to describe this as a mistake, it's not correct."

On Dec 5, Ariff told Sivarraajh to leave the House pending clarification on whether the Election Court in Kuala Lumpur had issued a stay order on its declaration that the Cameron Highlands seat is vacant.

The Election Court in Kuala Lumpur had made the declaration on Nov 30, saying that corrupt practices had led to Sivarraajh’s election victory over DAP’s M Manogaran in the 14th general election.

Sivarraajh had denied bribing voters and said he would appeal against the ruling.

-Mkini