Karpal ambush: Witnesses to testify next week

The special committee investigating the ‘ambush’ on veteran parliamentarian Karpal Singh on Feb 26 had its first meeting today.

Dewan Rakyat speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia, who chaired the meeting, however, refused to divulge what was discussed, only saying that committee members had viewed visuals of the incident.

"We have identified several witnesses and they will be called when the committee meets against next week," he added.

According to Pandikar ( left ), the witnesses will be called to testify on March 17 and 18.

The meeting that took place in the Speaker’s chambers was attended by deputy speaker Ronald Kiandeee, as well as members of parliament Tiong King Sing (Bintulu - BN), Fong Chan Ong (Alor Gajah - BN), Hajah Nancy Shukri (Batang Sadong - BN), R Sivarasa (Subang - PKR) and Kamaruddin Jaffar (Tumpat - PAS).

All members who were selected to sit in the committee were present today with the exception of DAP’s Ipoh Timor MP, Lim Kit Siang, who had boycotted the meeting.

When asked if he would attend future meetings, Lim said, "I have stated that I will not participate in this. (This is because) when Karpal asked Parliament to issue warrants of arrest against those who had stopped him, I stood up and seconded the motion.

"This is my stand. I also have said to the minister (in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz) that I will not support his motion," said Lim when contacted.

On Feb 26, chaos erupted at the entrance to Parliament lobby when wheelchair-bound Karpal was mobbed by a group of angry Umno Youth members after he called them celaka and blamed them for the live bullets and death threat he had received via mail.

'I will not attend'

After the incident, Karpal, who is Bukit Gelugor MP had on several occasions asked the House to pass a resolution under the Houses of Parliament (Privileges and Powers) Act 1952 to issue warrants of arrest against the Umno Youth members.

However, the Dewan Rakyat speaker had turned down his request, insisting that it would be best to establish a special committee to investigate the matter under Section 80(A) of the Standing Orders.

The committee must submit its findings by March 26.

Karpal later told reporters he has "no intention to attend" the meeting and reinforced his stand that warrants of arrest must be issued against the perpetrators.

"The House should convene as the court of law and deal with this," he said.

However, Karpal acknowledged that if he was given a notice to attend the meeting and did not do so, the committee could hold him in contempt of Parliament.

"Then I would be tried in Parliament," he said.