Veteran opposition MP Karpal Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor) was today ejected from the Dewan Rakyat on the orders of speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia.

NONE Karpal was given the marching orders after the he repeatedly questioned the speaker's decision to set aside Tian Chua's (PKR-Batu) motion for the House to urge the government to terminate Apco Worldwide's services.

He repeatedly accused Pandikar of going against his own precedent.

Karpal had earlier claimed that Pandikar has set a precedent when he accepted the government's motion to suspend the sitting and table a motion to refer Anwar Ibrahim (PKR-Permatang Pauh) to the Rights and Privileges Committee. 

He said that, by refusing to allow the motion by Chua, Pandikar had gone against his own precedent.

Karpal argued that since Pandikar had allowed the sitting to be suspended to allow the motion to be heard, the same should apply in Chua's case. 

Pandikar tried to interject numerous times, but this was met with the same reply from Karpal.

Karpal: You are going against your own precedent.

Pandikar: Do you want to take a rest, YB?

Karpal: You are a dictator.

Pandikar: Say that again YB. I want to hear it.

Karpal: ( Smiling ) You are a dictator.

Pandikar: Okay Yang Berhormat . Ten days before you can step into the House again.

After handing out the suspension, Pandikar ordered the sargeant-at-arms to remove the wheelchair-bound Karpal.

As Karpal was being wheeled out of the chambers, he could be heard giving Pandikar a parting shot of "dictator", to which Pandikar replied: "See you in 10 days YB!"

'I was misquoted'

At a press conference later, Karpal said the speaker’s actions were indefensible and had brought disrepute to the House.

"What he did amounts to being a dictator. I regret that I have been suspended for 10 days but as a matter of principle it has to be done."

Karpal continued to stress that the speaker had erred by not allowing Chua's motion.

In another development, Karpal denied claims that he had questioned the special position of Malays and bumiputeras under the constitution.

Referring to a police report by the Federation of Peninsular Malay Students (GPMS) against his recent press conference, Karpal said his comments had been misconstrued.

“I only asked if the government is giving a time frame for these privileges so that the bumiputeras and Malays can be put in the same position to compete with other races,” said.

Karpal said he posed the question in line with with Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s 1Malaysia concept.

The GPMS police report was based on a news report by Malay-language tabloid Sinar Harian . 

Karpal urged the police to take action against the tabloid for publishing false news and warned that he would not hesitate to take legal action against the paper and Utusan Malaysia .

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