'Nothing wrong with yellow attire of the MPs'
In another rare display of parliamentary independence, Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Wan Junaidi Wan Jaafar ruled that there is nothing wrong with opposition MPs wearing yellow in Parliament.
In another rare display of parliamentary independence, Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar ruled that there is nothing wrong with opposition MPs wearing yellow in Parliament.
"Whatever decision made by the minister, Home Ministry or the police is not binding on the Dewan Rakyat.
"If we allow that, then we will also be bound by any other restriction brought upon by other decisions," he told the House this afternoon.
Because of this, Wan Junaidi maintained, there would be no restriction on what an MP wore in Parliament, as long as it did not violate the dress code as per the standing orders.
The deputy speaker was responding on the matter raised by Tajuddin Abdul Rahman (BN-Pasir Salak) during the debate on the minimum wage council bill.
"I see that all opposition MPs are wearing yellow today. Do they support the illegal rally?" Tajuddin asked.
Several opposition MPs immediately stood up to defend their choice of dressing, whether or not the coming Bersih rally was illegal, even if it was declared as such by police and the Home Ministry.
Moving to head off further conflagration, Wan Junaidi dismissed the matter with the reasoning that Parliament is independent from outside regulations.
Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and the police have not only declared the Bersih 2.0 rally for election reforms on July 9 as illegal, but also outlawed its distinctive yellow T-shirts and other campaign paraphernalia.
The authorities have taken strident action and come down hard on activists and supporters of the rally, arresting more than 100 individuals and questioning dozens of others.
The Pakatan elected representatives attended Parliament today decked in Bersih colours and official collaterals in open defiance and protest of civil disobedience the ban by authorities.
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