KUALA LUMPUR – Debates on Budget 2024 in the Dewan Rakyat today were interrupted by a lengthy shouting match between lawmakers across the aisle over allegations of DAP man Howard Lee’s (Ipoh Timur-PH) “misinterpretation” of Quranic verses that were done “to punish the opposition.”
The war of words first erupted in the lower House when PAS’ Datuk Ahmad Marzuk Shaary (Pengkalan Chepa-PH) claimed that Lee had wronged the opposition by supposedly citing Quranic verses in a “provocative” manner to paint the opposition in a bad light.
“I saw for myself what Ipoh Timur (Lee) said in his TikTok video, which went viral on social media. The Quran cannot be interpreted just like that.
“(Lee) used the holy verses to come up with arguments to punish the opposition. Only muftis or scholars can interpret and explain Quranic verses,” Marzuk said.
In response, a seemingly irate Lee stood up and cited Standing Order 36(6) on false claims.
“(Marzuk) has quoted my name and made unfair assumptions against me. Where was the wrong in my interpretations (of the Quranic verse)?” he questioned, reiterating his previous defence of his statement.
“Was my interpretation wrong? Why did knowledgeable and qualified ulama tell me that what I said was not wrong? Are you (Marzuk) more pious than them? I have already apologised…,” Lee said before he was cut off by shouts from the opposition benches.
Deputy Speaker Datuk Ramli Mohd Nor (Cameron Highlands-BN) then attempted to dissolve the heated situation by calling on Marzuk to provide his justification for his comments, so that a decision can be made on Lee’s citation of the Standing Order.
However, the deputy speaker could barely be heard over the loud ruckus in the legislature, with Marzuk and Lee seen pointing their fingers at each other while several other lawmakers also stood up and hurled their own yelled comments.
Ramli then managed to diffuse the situation enough to say that he had recorded first warnings for Lee, Marzuk and a few other MPs who joined in the shouting match, including Datuk Awang Solahuddin Hashim (Pendang-PN).
“Even if you suspend us for two months… we won’t be threatened, speaker. When it comes to this matter (Quranic interpretation), I will bravely defend it to the end,” Awang said.
Ramli then said that he would make a decision on the Standing Order invoked by Lee tomorrow.
Last month, Lee courted controversy for allegedly making his own interpretation of a Quranic verse, inciting the ire of several quarters, including Perak non-governmental organisation Jalinan Bersatu Sahabat, which filed a police report against the MP.
The group had urged for police to investigate the matter as it viewed Lee’s actions to be an insult to Islam as the MP is a non-Muslim, yet had made his own interpretation of a Quranic verse, which was deemed a 3R (race, religion and royalty) issue.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Mohd Na’im Mokhtar had then met Lee to discuss the matter, during which the minister had advised Lee to be more cautious when quoting Quranic verses. – October 17, 2023