After the chaotic proceedings which lasted practically the whole day in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, MPs were at the receiving end today after Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia appeared to be in no mood to give any quarter to ensure today's proceedings proceeded smoothly.

MPs from both sides of the divide and even ministers did not escape his wrath.

parliament pandikar amin anwar ibrahim lim kit siang dap pkr pc 121108 02 The first to earn his rebuke was Marcus Mojigoh (BN-Putatan) who had told off Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid (PKR-Kuala Langat) when the latter asked a supplementary question to Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister, Heng Seai Kie, which he (Mojigoh) claimed was irrelevant.

Pandikar (left) ticked off Marcus saying it was only the Speaker who could decide whether a question was irrelevant and reminded the MPs not to create any problems and observe the standing orders.

"There is no end to MPs interrupting proceedings citing standing orders... but almost every MP is guilty of violating Standing Orders including issuing statements outside the dewan, hurling insults against the House.

"It's as though they are angels and incapable of making mistakes," he said.

A prayer for Pandikar

Sensing the tenseness in Pandikar, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (PKR-Machang) whose turn to question came next, said a prayer for Pandikar to be bestowed with lots of patience in handling the antics of the MPs.

"I can be patient, but it has a limit. It goes for you MPs as well. It's not only I who should be patient. Go ahead with your question," Pandikar replied.

Apparently, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department SK Devamany, when his turn came, "did not get the drift" when he accused Opposition MPs to be resorting to "dramas" in the House to gain political mileage when answering a supplementary question from Salleh Kalbi (BN-Silam).

This only earned the ire of Pandikar who told him to stick to the subject at hand and keep politics outside the House.

Yesterday morning, Pandikar had ordered five Opposition MPs the leave the Dewan until the lunch recess after they caused the proceedings to descend into chaos in trying to defend Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim from possible suspension for alleging that international consulting firm Apco Worldwide was behind the 1Malaysia concept espoused by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and that it was borrowed from the 1Israel concept.

Pandikar suspends two more MPs

- Bernama