MPs can’t be sued for comments in Parliament, says Speaker

 

Wee Ka Siong wrote to the Dewan Rakyat Speaker after he was served with two letters of demand by an egg importer. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: MPs have legal immunity over statements made in Parliament, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Ghani told Ayer Hitam MP Wee Ka Siong today.

Johari was responding to a letter from Wee on March 6 seeking his advice over an egg importer’s demand for an apology.

The Speaker said in a letter to Wee, posted on Wee’s Facebook page, that: “No action can be taken against an MP in any court of law for what is said when taking part in any Parliament proceeding subject to Article 63 of the Federal Constitution.”

Wee had been served with two letters of demand by J&E Advance Tech Sdn Bhd, which said it was the sole importer of eggs from India, over remarks he made about the imports.

The first letter to Wee on Feb 23 said the company faced losses and a tarnished reputation as a result of Wee’s “unwarranted statements”.

In a second letter, the company’s lawyer said the company’s business had been indirectly affected as Wee’s remarks had caused confusion among consumers about the quality of the eggs.

Wee had said in a Facebook post on Jan 9 that eggs from India would take between three and four weeks to reach Port Klang by sea.

Wee has frequently raised the issue of egg supply in the country. He even produced an egg imported from India, a locally produced egg and an omega egg to compare their sizes and prices in the Dewan Rakyat.

In a Facebook post on Feb 15, he had said that while local eggs are sold at 41 sen each, imported eggs from India are sold at 50 sen each. - FMT