The Selangor government will not force lawyer Mohd Hafarizam Harun to appear before the Rights and Privileges Committee of the state assembly, Mentri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said today.     

He, however, stressed at the same time that Hafarizam and his client, Port Klang assemblyman Badrul Hisham Abdullah, should be brought before the committee to answer charges of contempt of the assembly.     

Abdul Khalid was commenting on a statement by Hafarizam yesterday that the summons for him to appear before the committee was an abuse of power and a political threat and should be withdrawn immediately.     

Abdul Khalid said that he did not want to comment further because Hafarizam, as we know, is an Umno lawyer and can say anything he likes".     

"What the Selangor stresses is that Hafarizam and Badrul Hisham be brought before the committee in connection with the offence of contempt of assembly," he said.     

                    

Badrul Hisham had successfully challenged in court the decision of state  speaker Teng Chang Khim to declare Port Klang vacant because its assemblyman had allegedly been absent from sittings for six months without giving any valid reason.     

The Shah Alam High Court on Feb 18 had also ordered Teng to pay RM40,000 in costs, a decision which he has applied to be put aside.    

The assembly later passed a motion for Badrul Hisham and Hafarizam to appear before the committee for alleged contempt of the assembly based on a letter they wrote to Teng which was described as " indecent, insolent and threatening".    

- Bernama