Karpal ordered to leave Dewan Rakyat
Bukit Gelugor member of parliament Karpal Singh was ordered to leave the Dewan Rakyat after he challenged the decision of deputy speaker Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar today.
Bukit Gelugor member of parliament Karpal Singh was ordered to leave the Dewan Rakyat after he challenged the decision of deputy speaker Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar today.
He called N Gobalakrishnan (Bebas-Padang Serai) an “animal” and then refused to retract it when ordered to do so by Wan Junaidi.
Gobalakrishnan, who was rather offended by the term, requested the deputy speaker to refer the Gelugor MP to House Rule 36(6) and instruct Karpal to retract it and apologise to him.
"The word '
binatang
’ (animal) should never be used on the respectable members. Whether the member is eligible or not to sit in this Dewan, the word should never be used.
"Let the Dewan decide. Please Yang Berhormat, retract the word, Yang Berhormat,” said Wan Junaidi to the DAP chairperson.
But Karpal refused to do so and insisted on labeling the Padang Serai MP as such, due to his interruptions during today’s debate.
Karpal said, “I will not retract what I said just now and I’ve no problem leaving.”
And on that note, Wan Junaidi ordered Karpal to leave the Dewan, just as the debate on the parliamentary select committee (PSC) on electoral reforms’ preliminary report came to an end today.
Earlier this morning, a verbal altercation had ensued after Permatang Pauh MP Anwar Ibrahim used the word ‘drunk’ when Gobalakrishnan kept requesting to be allowed to precede him during the debate.
Gobalakrishnan was finally ordered to leave the Dewan for refusing to heed the deputy speaker’s instruction to be seated.
Meanwhile, the Dewan Rakyat passed the 10 recommendations tabled by the PSC chairperson and Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Dr Maximus Ongkili.
Among the recommendations were the use of indelible ink; early voting; allowing voters residing abroad to vote; voters outside their constituency; change in registration district; and cleaning of the electoral rolls.
- Bernama
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