KUALA LUMPUR – The special meeting of the Dewan Rakyat today saw an explosive start as opposition MPs caused a prolonged ruckus in the lower House over their rejected attempts to debate the discontinuation of Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s (Bagan Datuk-BN) graft trial.
Chaos erupted after Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul told Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal (Machang-PN) that he would be given a chance to speak only after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (Tambun-PH) tabled the agenda for today’s sitting.
This came after Bersatu Youth chief Wan Fayhsal stood up immediately after Johari’s greeting to MPs, ostensibly to raise the issue of why his emergency motion to debate deputy prime minister Zahid’s discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) had been rejected by the speaker just before today’s sitting.
In response, opposition chief whip Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (Kota Bharu-PN) said he “begs to differ” with the speaker’s decision, adding that since there will be no question-and-answer (Q&A) session for today’s sitting, Wan Fayhsal should be allowed to speak before Anwar’s agenda tabling.
“Standing Orders are normally raised after the Q&A session, that is normal procedure. There will be no Q&A session today, so before we go to today’s agenda, we have cited a Standing Order. That’s what we understand,” said Takiyuddin, who is a former law minister.
Towards the end of the ensuing shouting match between MPs across the aisle, Johari quipped: “I understand, today is the first day (of the Dewan Rakyat meeting), everyone’s engines are hot.”
The heated exchanges also saw Takiyuddin’s insistence that, while it is true that the prime minister is the one to set the meeting’s order of business, there is no parliamentary law that states that MPs cannot raise an issue before the prime minister’s agenda tabling.
He also questioned if Johari had been “influenced” by Anwar, referring to how the Pakatan Harapan chairman had previously said that Parliament is not the place to debate matters relating to court decisions.
“Tambun (Anwar) has superseded the speaker, this is not right. Speaker, have you been influenced by the prime minister on your decision (to reject Wan Fayhsal’s motion)?” Takiyuddin asked.
Johari said Anwar’s comment had been made outside of Parliament, adding that his call on the matter was not guided by Anwar’s stance, saying: “(Anwar) did not make the decision on my behalf.
“My decision is that those who wish to raise any issues, can do so afterwards. I will give you space after the prime minister has spoken, be patient.”
Subsequently, Takiyuddin pressed the speaker to confirm whether or not Wan Fayhsal’s motion had been rejected, to which Johari reiterated that while the motion had been denied, he would give MPs the chance to speak after today’s order of business had been completed.
Following Anwar’s tabling of the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) Mid-Term Review (MTR), Johari postponed the sitting to tomorrow, inciting yet another uproar in the lower House as opposition MPs demanded the speaker to adhere to his promise to allow them to present motions.
In a press conference at the Parliament lobby, Wan Fayhsal alleged that Johari had been given “new instructions” to prevent the opposition from raising their qualms, forcing the speaker to not give them the floor to raise issues over Zahid’s DNAA.
Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim (Arau-PN) also claimed that the postponement is contrary to what the speaker had initially promised MPs, saying: “If you look at his (Johari’s) facial expressions (when postponing today’s session to tomorrow), he looks unhappy.”
According to the Dewan Rakyat calendar, there is no afternoon sitting today, with debates on the 12MP MTR to begin tomorrow and continue through Thursday. Ministerial responses are scheduled for the following Monday and Tuesday on September 18 to 19.
Last Monday, Zahid was granted a DNAA on all 47 of his corruption, criminal breach of trust, and money laundering charges involving his foundation, Yayasan Akalbudi. He was also charged with accepting bribes when he was the home minister between 2013 and 2018.
The call was met with severe criticism from certain quarters, including the youth-based party Muda, which has since pulled support from the unity government. – September 11, 2023