Kit Siang suspended for ignoring 'get out' order
Published on: Thursday, March 29, 2018
Kuala Lumpur: DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang was suspended from Dewan Rakyat for six months for interrupting House proceedings as the redelineation report was about to be tabled in Parliament.Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia requested the government to table a motion to suspend the Gelang Patah MP after the latter refused to obey an expulsion order from Pandikar.Pandikar eventually stopped the House proceedings for 30 minutes due to Lim's refusal to leave his seat.ADVERTISEMENT Lim had initially stood up to ask Pandikar to clarify which powers he had used as Speaker to impose an embargo on the redelineation report which was given to MPs last Thursday."I just want to ask what powers you have to impose an embargo?" he asked.Pandikar, however, refused to answer the matter, having already ruled that MPs should all sit down and not raise any more issues in order to pave way for the tabling of the report by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. He expelled Lim from the House, but the latter adamantly refused to leave his seat despite being asked to do so by men-at-arms at Parliament.ADVERTISEMENT Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman later tabled a motion to suspend Lim for six months, which Pandikar passed before halting proceedings as Opposition MPs continued to criticise his handling of the sitting.He subsequently threatened to allow the police in the House to forcefully remove Lim from the House if the latter continued to refuse to leave his seat.
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Meanwhile, Lim said the redelineation would jeopardise the Opposition's chances in the general election."Definitely yes, but if there is a political tsunami nationwide, then I think we will overcome that," the Gelang Patah MP said. Lim was speaking at a press conference in Parliament after the redelineation motion was passed with a vote of 129 for and 80 against.He was accompanied by Pakatan Harapan president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng, Seremban MP Anthony Loke, and several other Opposition lawmakers.The DAP stalwart alleged that the Federal Constitution had been violated, as the embargo on the EC's redelineation report was only lifted shortly before it was debated and voted on by lawmakers in the House."The embargo was lifted today and the motion was debated itself today. This is extraordinary … this is Parliament in The Twilight Zone."MPs should have enough time to discuss with voters to get public feedback on the redelineation proposal."Lawmakers don't operate in a vacuum; the report must be made public so we can get feedback from voters," he added.Dr Wan Azizah said Pakatan is protesting because it believes the redelineation favours the people in power although the EC is supposed to be independent and neutral."As we said, we are hoping and praying for voters to open their eyes and vote for change," she said.The Opposition MPs also protested against what they see as double standards by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia, who has disallowed discussion on the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) issue because of an ongoing court case.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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"The Speaker said it is sub judice to discuss 1MDB although the case is in a foreign court," said Kuala Terengganu MP Datuk Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad."Today, we have court cases on the redelineation report in Penang and Selangor, but the Speaker allowed the motion to go on," he added.