DAP has described as "harsh" the Dewan Rakyat's three-day suspension of Kota Melaka MP Kerk Kim Hock (photo) for refusing to obey an order by Deputy Speaker Mohamed Abdullah.

In a statement, Wanita DAP chairperson Chong Eng said this was in view of the fact that the speakers had not acted against Barisan Nasional members of parliament for transgressions like the use of unparliamentary language.

She cited instances where BN backbenchers had gotten away with making "vulgar and distasteful remarks", naming Bung Moktar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan) as having used a four-letter word and phrases with sexual connotations last year.

(He did, however, apologise the next day on the Speaker's advice. See Apology for F-word causes another furore among MPs

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Chong also said Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister M Kayveas had used "locker-room language" and refused to withdraw the words even after Deputy Speaker Mohamad Abdullah had advised him to do so.

"Yet, no stern action was taken against them, unlike the harsh penalty meted out to Kerk," said the Bukit Mertajam MP.

Call for clarification

Chong also said the speakers should conduct the meetings fairly and effectively because the Dewan Rakyat is a forum to address public grouses.

"They must ensure that there is sufficient time to debate all important issues and that all questions raised by members of the House are adequately answered," she said.

"If an MP can be chased out of the House and suspended for three days because he insists on a satisfactory answer, then what is the purpose of spending so much money on Parliament meetings?"

Yesterday, Kerk was asked to leave the House and slapped with a three-day suspension after refusing Mohamad's order to sit down, when he insisted on getting an answer from Deputy Home Minister from Zainal Abidin Zin.

Kerk had been pressing for the answer on the confusion created as a result of "unlawful" traffic summonses issued by police during Ops Warta II recently. Motorists were told these had been cancelled when they went to settle the fines.

In a separate statement, Kerk called on Home Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to clarify the issue in Parliament, since several contradictory statements had been issued by his deputies and police.

"The whole issue could have been resolved by revealing that cancellation of the (29,840) summons was automatic and that a refund would be given to motorists who had paid their penalty of RM300 for each summon," added Kerk, who is also DAP secretary-general.

"The more the Home Ministry and the police provide contradictory and inaccurate answers, the more damage will be done to their image and credibility."