I was ordered out of the Perak state assembly sitting today by the speaker, SK Devamany, for trying to defend the speech I made yesterday with regard to forgotten and neglected Orang Asli villages in Tasek Temenggor, Gerik, Perak.

I was booted out of the assembly hall after a heated exchange between the speaker, Salbiah Mohamed (Temenggor-BN) and myself. The speaker also ordered that I be brought before the privileges committee.

I had raised the issue of neglected Orang Asli Villages located around Tasek Temenggor, Gerik in my debate on the royal address yesterday. The first debater for BN today, Salbiah, had triggered the incident by accusing me of making baseless accusations against the state government.

I then stood up to request to interject and reply to the accusation, as well as put forward proposals for the government and the opposition to improve the welfare of the local communities in the area. However, Salbiah continued with her tirade and I then requested that the speaker instruct Salbiah to state clearly whether she was going to give way (“memberi laluan atau tidak”).

The DAP state assemblyperson for Malim Nawar, Leong Cheok Keng, then raised Standing Order 36(10) and said that no reference shall be made in any debate to the conduct or character of any state assemblyperson in the capacity of a member therein which the speaker did not make any ruling. State exco member Mohammad Zahir Abdul Khalid also moved a motion to suspend me from attending the remaining days of the assembly sitting.

After another heated exchange, the speaker ordered me to be sent out from the assembly hall until the end of the sitting of the day, and referred me to the privileges committee.

In a press conference held after the incident, I said that the issue of Orang Asli villages raised by me yesterday was an important issue concerning the welfare of the people, and he had not expected to be attacked by the BN state assemblypersons.

I definitely need to defend my stand after being accused, and I have in mind to invite the BN reps for a visit to the villages to see the actual situation, but the BN representative opted to continue with her wild accusations. I then requested the speaker to instruct YB Salbiah to confirm whether she is giving way to me, but in the end, I was booted out by the speaker.

The speaker even said, he had given 20-30 warnings to me since yesterday, which is totally new to me. Actually since yesterday, the Perak MB Zambry Abdul Kadir kept repeating unparliamentary words while seated in his place, without seeking the permission from the speaker to speak. Is the assembly speaker, Devamany, ready to take action against the MB?

DAP rep ordered out of Perak asembly

WONG KAH WOH is the DAP state assemblyperson for Canning.