A walkout staged by the opposition on Thursday did not mark the end of their protest to the new election bill as DAP secretary-general Kerk Kim Hock said he will call for a review of Parliament's rejection of his motion to refer the bill to a select committee.

Kerk (DAP-Kota Melaka) said Parliament deputy speaker Muhammad Abdullah had committed an error when he used the wrong standing order in rejecting the motion.

"It was most disappointing that the government MPs had decided to pass the amendments when we have argued that the bill did not address the many electoral abuses in the nation's history and made it difficult for the opposition to speak up for the people freely and effectively," he said in a statement.

He also urged all government representatives in Parliament who "truly want to see free, fair, and clean elections" to support his motion to review the deputy speaker's decision when the House resumes its sitting tomorrow.

Last Thursday, Kerk proposed an emergency motion that the bill be brought to a select committee which comprises representatives from all political parties as the proposed amendments were tabled without prior consultation with the opposition.

However, Muhammad rejected the motion, saying that the bill could not be presented to a select committee since the House had already done the second reading.

He then allowed Minister in Prime Minister's Department Dr Rais Yatim to proceed with the winding-up of the bill. This resulted in the opposition MPs marching out of the House as a sign of protest.

Can support motion

The controversial Election Offences (Amendment) Bill 2002, hotly debated since last Parliament sitting in June, seeks to introduce 28 amendments in what the government claimed to be an effort to enforce better discipline among election candidates and campaigners.

Once passed, the bill will spell tighter rules and stiffer penalties such as higher fines and jail terms for offenders. The new law will also make it an offence for politicians and parties to make seditious remarks during campaign.

Kerk said today Muhammad had cited Standing Order 54(1) which stipulates that any bill may be committed to a select committee before its second reading when rejecting his emergency motion.

However, the opposition leader noted that the subsequent Standing Order 54(2) can be used to support his emergency motion and should have been considered by the Parliament.

Standing Order 54(2) states that "when a bill has been read a second time, it shall stand committed to a committee of the whole House unless the House on motion commits it to a select committee.

"Such motion shall not require notice, must be made immediately after the bill is read a second time; and may be proposed by any member; the question thereon shall be put forthwith and shall be decided without amendments or debate," it read.