The motion to refer the much-criticised Security Offences (Special Measures) Bill 2012 to a parliamentary select committee (PSC) has been rejected by the Dewan Rakyat.

NONE Confusion rose when deputy speaker Ronald Kiandee (left) , on instructions from speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia, told R Sivarasa (PKR-Subang) that only the "details" of the motion could be reviewed by the PSC.

This, Kiandee (left) said, was because the Bill had passed the second reading or the policy-stage debate.

This was in contrast to what Pandikar had promised yesterday, telling Sivarasa that he could present his motion under Standing Order 55(1) to send the Bill to the PSC before it is tabled for second reading.

According to Pandikar, the second reading of the Bill literally means the second time the Bill is debated in the House. Hence, the third reading would be at the committee stage debate, which was when Sivarasa could present his motion.

Despite Sivarasa's objection, Kiandee insisted that the motion must be read under Standing Order 55(2) as the House had wrapped up the policy debate and the committee stage debate would be limited to looking at "only details" and not touch on the substance of the Bill.

NONE Sivarasa (right) had proposed to have the Bill deliberated for six months to revamp the contents, before sending the Bill back to the Dewan Rakyat for a policy-stage debate.

He reasoned that the Bill in its current form  opens up more opportunities for abuse and hides many more restrictive features than the Internal Security Act (ISA) that it is meant to replace.

In order to change the form of the Bill, it is pertinent that the merits are also looked into, Sivarasa said, but Kiandee refused to budge.

The deputy speaker then called for votes on the motion, during which the ‘ayes’ were louder than the ‘nays’.

The Security Offences (Special Measures) Bill 2012 was passed at 3.35pm.

Pengerang motion also rejected

The speaker also rejected a motion to debate Petronas' RM20 billion Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development (Rapid) in Pengerang, Johor.

NONE The motion filed on April 10 by Er Teck Hwa (DAP-Bakri, left in photo ) was rejected in chambers today on the ground that the relevant ministry had explained the matter in the House.

Pandikar also said that the motion filed by way of a petition, which was purportedly endorsed by 3,612 or 36 percent of the residents in Pengerang, did not have the signatures of all those listed in the document.

Er had appealed on behalf of more than a third of the residents who are largely fishermen and farmers, who fear that their livelihood might be affected by the mega-project.

"The villagers, who are mostly illiterate, assumed that all they had to do was to pen their names and addresses," lamented Er.

Azahar Mansor, a spokesperson for the villagers, said the Pengerang Residents Action Committee had submitted a memorandum to component parties in BN but have to hear from them.

"We were told that the minister will be visiting Pengerang, but they did not give us a date," he told reporters at the Parliament lobby.

Another resident, Seng Kwee Deck, said the grievances had been taken their MP Azalina  Othman “but instead of listening to our problems, she told us to take up the compensation offered”.

On March 18, some 200 Pengerang residents had held a protest against the project.