Eleven non-governmental organisations today called on Parliament to revoke the six-month suspension of DAP MP for Batu Gajah Fong Po Kuan.

In a joint statement, the NGO's said the suspension was a shameful blemish on Malaysian parliamentary democracy.

It undermines the role and function of Parliament, as well as the responsibilities and privileges of elected representatives, they added.

"The entire manner and process in which Fong was convicted reflects the blatantly unjust treatment of an elected representative, compounded by the fact she was the youngest as well as a woman opposition MP.

"It is regrettable this sordid state of affairs should have occurred as there was no need for the ruling elite to resort to such harsh tactics against Fong," the statement read.

The statement added the adoption of the motion to suspend Fong without any remuneration for six months by the majority of elected representatives present was an unprecedented move in Parliamentary history.

"It was clearly an abuse of Parliamentary democracy as well as a wrongful exercise of the ruling coalition's (Barisan Nasional) brute and overwhelming two-thirds majority in Parliament," said the NGOs.

The statement was issued by human rights group Suaram, the International Movement for a Just World (JUST), the National Consciousness Movement (Aliran), the Women's Development Collective, the All Women's Action Society (Awam), Sisters In Islam, the Centre for Orang Asli Concerns, Ideal Time, Alaigal, the Civil Rights Committee of the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, and Era Consumer Malaysia (ERA).

The NGO's also called on the authorities to work towards Parliamentary reforms and to reiterate the need to restore gender sensitivity in Parliament.

CLP scandal

Today was the first Parliament sitting for 2002. Fong was suspended from parliamentary duties on Dec 11 last year.

Fong, 28, was suspended without allowance for six months in December after allegedly castigating the House Speaker Tun Zahir Mohamad Ismail in rejecting her motion to debate the Certficate in Legal Practise (CLP) scandal.

The legal community was dealt a shock last November when it was revealed that leaks had occurred in the CLP examinations conducted by the Legal Profession Qualifying Board.

Following the leaks, was the revelation that board chairman Khalid Yusoff had been tampering with marks causing the LPQB to nullify the marks and regrading the papers.

The motion to suspend Fong was made by Minister in The Prime Minister's Department Dr Rais Yatim.

Meanwhile DAP national chairperson Lim Kit Siang also called for Fong's reinstatement and said her suspension was "unfair, unjust and undemocratic".

The suspension reflected a worsening instead of functioning democracy in Malaysia, added the veteran politician in a press statement.

"The suspension of an MP without allowance is unheard of in Commonwealth Parliaments and the question is why Malaysia should set such a bad precedent instead of setting the good example of greater democratisation and more respect for human rights in conformity with the principle and the best practice of parliamentary democracy?" he queried.