Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz  will discuss a Pakatan Rakyat-led motion for an emergency parliamentary sitting on the ‘Mismah-gate’ scandal with Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

He said he will raise the matter with the premier during a breaking of fast dinner, which is understood will be held at Najib’s residence in Putrajaya today.

“I have yet to read the contents (of the motion). Whatever the case, I will raise this with the PM and after discussing the matter with him, then possibly we can respond... I don’t want to pre-empt the PM on this issue,” he said at a press conference in Parliament’s tower block.

NONE Nazri ( left ) was speaking after receiving a letter from Pakatan MPs on behalf of Najib.

The letter details a motion requesting for an emergency parliamentary sitting to debate the ‘Mismah-gate’ scandal where at least 1,100 permanent resident (PR) status holders were allegedly found on the electoral rolls.

Nazri said it “should not be a problem” for an emergency sitting to be held during this fasting month of Ramadan, provided that the prime minister first agrees to the request.

“Let us raise this with the PM first. Maybe he will respond... after discussing he may ask me to respond. If I respond now it would be premature. I don’t even know what it’s about,” he said.

Nazri, however, criticised Pakatan leaders for jumping straight into a demand for an emergency parliamentary sitting, pointing out that there are avenues available to them to investigate their claims of thousands of PR holders registered on the electoral rolls.

“Firstly, I don’t think that can happen because to register (as a voter) you need a blue IC (which is issued to citizens). Every person (on the rolls) must have a blue IC, so I don’t know how they (PR holders) became voters.

“But if they have proof, bring it to the SPR (Election Commission) to be investigated. Don’t simply claim it happened, then after checking Mismah is actually a citizen and can vote,” he said, referring to the recent case of one Mismah , who was initially detected as a PR holder on the EC’s latest supplementary roll earlier this month.

‘Don’t force a Bersih 3'

At an earlier press conference in the tower block, PAS vice-president and Kubang Kerian MP Salahuddin Ayub argued that there is already enough proof to justify the need for an emergency Parliamentary sitting, as it is a national security issue that amounts to treason if proven to be more than a mere technical glitch.

NONE “We have proven that last Wednesday, just hours after these names (of PR holders) came out on the JPN (National Registration Department) website, their status changed to IC biru (blue identity cards issued to citizens).

“Also, when their status was still PR, their names were already on the electoral rolls. We are worried that if this is the procedure and method in which they (authorities) conduct the issue, it is a danger to national security... this is treasonous,” he said.

Also present at the press conference were fellow PAS veep and Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz Omar, PKR vice-president and Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar, DAP national publicity secretary and Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua, PAS’ Kuala Krai MP Dr Hatta Ramli and PKR’s Balik Pulau MP Yusmaidi Yusof.

Salahuddin repeated their call for the government to respond to their request for an emergency sitting within seven days from today, failing which Pakatan will take “other steps” to bring this issue forward.

“We have discussed (the various steps), but first we want an emergency sitting. We will announce our next step later, but the PM must first answer our request.

“Don’t let it reach the point that we use Bersih 3... first, we want to come to the most suitable place (to debate the issue), which is Parliament,” he said.

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