Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi drew flak for upholding the rule that Barisan Nasional (BN) parliamentarians cannot support opposition motions.

Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang has put the premier in the crosshairs and urged the ruling coalition to do away with the rule.

In a statement today, the veteran politician said he was surprised and disappointed with Abdullah.

"I call on Abdullah to convene an emergency meeting of the BN supreme council to scrap such an antediluvian rule which is completely out of sync with his own commitments and slogans," he added.

Lim said if this logic was to be followed, opposition parliamentarians should not have supported the prime minister's condolence motion on April 24 on the death of former deputy premier Ghafar Baba.

"Opposition MPs however have a higher sense of responsibility. We are fully conscious and mindful that there are issues in Parliament which must transcend political, party and personal differences as they do not concern party policy or programmes," he said.

Lim said such issues include national sovereignty, territorial integrity, parliamentary dignity, privileges and independence or tributes to departed nationalists.

"The opposition does not have the rule that its MPs cannot support government motions if it is in the interest of the nation," he added.

As for BN's stand on the matter, he said: "It is most shameful as it as good as a proclamation of the inability of the Malaysian Parliament and the 92 percent BN membership to make the basic distinction between right and wrong."

Issue of integrity

Supporting opposition motions became an issue last week when Backbenchers Club head Shahrir Abdul Samad ( right ) quit when he failed to get other government backbenchers to support a motion tabled by Lim.

The motion was to refer a news report - which claimed that a Melaka BN MP had asked the state authorities to 'close one eye' regarding a company importing illegal timber - to the Parliamentary Privileges Committee.

Shahrir appears to be the only one out of the 199 BN MPs who is serious about the prime minister's commitment on integrity, said Lim in his statement today.

He added that the Malaysian Parliament will be telling the nation and the world that it cannot distinguish between right and wrong if Jasin MP Mohd Said Yusof - who was implicated in the news report - is not referred to the privileges committee for investigation.

He said the allegation against was serious, impinging not only on Mohd Said's integrity as a MP but also on the dignity and reputation of Parliament as an institution.

Meanwhile, Lim also commented on the proposal for a parliamentary select committee on guidelines on MPs' conduct when dealing with members of the civil service.

He said it would be 'quite ridiculous' to have select committee confined to issues affecting only BN parliamentarians.

"What is needed is not just a review of relations between MPs and civil servants but the whole question of MPs' role and responsibilities in a First World Parliament.

"For this reason, a select committee on parliamentary reform and modernisation should be set up," he said, adding that the Cabinet meeting tomorrow should give the 'green light' and allow the committee to be established on Thursday - the last day of this current sitting.