Dewan Rakyat Speaker Ramli Ngah Talib's decision to reject an emergency motion to debate the 'Lingam tape' has drawn flak human rights watchdog Suaram.

Co-ordinator John Liu said the grounds for the rejection - that the government had established a three-member panel to probe the controversy - were inadequate.

Liu pointed out that the panel has limited terms of reference and is not allowed to subpoena witnesses and cannot address the grave problems arising from allegations in the eight-minute clip revealed by PKR on Sept 19.

"The issue of corruption in the appointment and promotion of judges at the highest level, (and) the gravity of the problem, cannot and will not be addressed by the panel," he said in a statement today.

He said Ramli's decision to disallow the motion demonstrates that Parliament has failed in its role to debate issues of public interest.

"We are also of the opinion that Ramli's rejection of the motion implies his consent to the government's deliberate attempts to divert (attention) from this issue," he said.

Liu reiterated calls by many civil society groups, opposition parties and professional bodies for the establishment of a Royal commission of inquiry to probe the allegations.

On Wednesday, hopes were dashed among opposition MPs when Ramli rejected the motion filed by Permatang Pauh MP Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to debate the issue.

Ramli had rejected the bid to file the motion on Oct 9, on grounds that Wan Azizah's Sept 21 submission was "too early".

On Oct 23, Ramli asked Wan Azizah to submit the motion again, only to reject it the next day.

In her motion speech, Waz Azizah said the panel and the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) were more inclined towards unveiling the sources of the video recording.

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim and two other party officials were served notice by the ACA that compels them to reveal the full 14-minute clip, and now potentially face action for not doing so.