Karpal Singh has reiterated his call to speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia to allow all MPs to view the sex video in Parliament, on condition that the video be marked as an exhibit and for all party whips to be removed in order that all MPs may vote according to their conscience.

NONE Karpal ( right ) also stressed that Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim should be allowed to attend the viewing, despite the latter’s six-month suspension from the House.

“I want a firm undertaking from Pandikar that ... before the screening of (the video), it must be marked as an exhibit and become part of the proceedings of the House and further become part of the Hansard as an exhibit.” said Karpal in a statement today.

“Without this safeguard, there cannot be any effective screening of the video tape in the House. This prerequisite cannot be waived.

“I do not want a repeat of what happened in 1992,” he said.

He was referring to the incident of the DP Vijandran video in 1992, which he had handed to deputy speaker Ong Tee Keat.

While Ong had complied with his request to mark the Vijandran tape as an exhibit, he had declined to screen it to the House.

Following this, said Karpal, then speaker Zahir Ismail had attempted to return the video tape to him.

NONE “Had the pornographic video tape (of Vijandran) been returned to me, I would have been subject to prosecution for possession of it once the House had adjourned, after which I would not have been protected by parliamentary immunity,” he said.

“However I strenuously took on Zahir saying that he had no right to reverse the decision of Ong to accept (the video) and make it part of the parliamentary proceedings on the ground that Ong was no more deputy speaker once he occupied the speaker’s chair.

“During that time, he (Ong) was speaker on equal footing with Zahir Ismail."

Zahir eventually directed that the tape be handed to police chief Zaman Khan, he said.  

The Bukit Gelugor MP added that, outside the House at the time, there had been an attempt to charge him with possession of the tape.

The police had further contended that parliamentary immunity only extended to his handing of the tape in Parliament, but that protection did not extend to possession of it outside.

“I stood my ground, and up to now I am yet to be charged,” he added.

'Datuk T' yet to be charged

In contrast, none of the trio behind the latest sex video, that made a sensational premiere at the prestigious KL hotel on March 21, has yet to face any action .

azlan The three, who call themselves Datuk T , have come forward to claim responsibility for the screening of the video.

On March 31 Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told the media he had no knowledge of any arrests involving the trio, comprising former Malacca chief minister Rahim Thamby Chik, former senator Shuib Lazim and businessman Shazryl Eskay Abdullah.

Yesterday, Karpal, who is DAP chairperson and a senior lawyer, had challenged Pandikar to screen the video in Parliament in the public interest.

But he stressed today that, if this is accepted, BN has to first undertake to remove its Whip so that its MPs can vote independently “according to their conscience in line with their religion without fear or favour”.

“The position, of course, has to be likewise in the case of all opposition MPs,” he stressed.

“The ball is now in Pandikar’s court. Let’s see how he deals with it.”

Pandikar Amin Mulia, however, declined to meet journalists who had waited for him all day in Parliament to get his comments.

One of his assistants came out about 4.50pm, politely turning away the group of 20 reporters waiting at the entrance.

"I have told him about your request but all he told me was that he does not want to comment," the assistant said apologetically.

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