Two MPs have urged for action to be taken against Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Rashid Hasnon for allegedly confusing Parliament’s Lower House.
This is over Rashid’s (above) claim that he ejected Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin Abdul Rahman for two days following the lawmaker’s alleged use of curse words in Parliament on July 20.
Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching said the Dewan Rakyat’s Hansard showed that Tajuddin was asked to leave the Dewan Rakyat during the morning session on July 20.
However, Tajuddin later returned for the afternoon session, Teo said, where he was listed as one of those who voted on the motion to extend Subsection 4(5) of the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma).
“This shows that even though Rashid said on July 26 that Pasir Salak was suspended from Parliament for two days including the day of the incident (July 20), this never actually happened.
“The truth is, on the day of the incident, Pasir Salak not only came in to disturb the parliamentary session in the evening, but he also voted for the Sosma motion.
“The deputy speaker confused the House when he said Pasir Salak was ejected from the Dewan Rakyat for two days.
“What kind of suspension or punishment is it if the MP himself did not realise and he was allowed to come in and vote again?” Teo asked during a press conference in Parliament today.
Batu Kawan MP Kasthuri Patto, who was also at the press conference, said Rashid’s actions were very disappointing.
She said it also set a dangerous precedent, allowing future incidences where MPs may turn off their microphones to utter curse words before continuing their debate.
Rashid would obviously have not found the curse word in the Hansard, she said, claiming that Tajuddin said it after he turned off his microphone.
She said she already pointed this out in her letter to Rashid demanding swift action against Tajuddin.
She added that she also brought nine MPs as witnesses to the incident and they were questioned by Rashid’s officers individually.
“So the deputy speaker’s answer (that the swear word was not in the Hansard), I feel is very disappointing.
“We have many other things to debate but this is important in the Dewan.
“It must be given the highest priority by the speaker because the failure of the deputy speaker is also the failure of the speaker and we do not want this to continue,” Kasthuri said.
Alleged swear word
There was an uproar in the Dewan Rakyat on July 20 after Tajuddin contended that he was a defender of women while accusing DAP women MPs of being foul-mouthed.
During the verbal kerfuffle, Tajuddin allegedly said “p*****k”, a Malay swear word, leading opposition lawmakers to urge disciplinary action against him.
Rashid later ruled on July 26 that the curse word allegedly uttered by the Pasir Salak MP was not in the Hansard.
He also said Tajuddin’s punishment for disorderly conduct was two days of suspension – a punishment which Rashid claimed started on July 20 when he ordered Tajuddin to leave the Dewan Rakyat.
It is not clear whether the second day of the suspension has been implemented or will be implemented in the future as it was reported that Tajuddin was present in the Dewan Rakyat the day after the incident occurred. - Mkini
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