To the amusement of other MPs, Khalid Samad (PAS-Shah Alam) locked horns with his brother, Shahrir Samad (BN-Johor Bahru), in Parliament today.

When debating the motion of thanks of the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong's speech, Khalid singled out Shahrir for criticising the opposition coalition for boycotting Parliament to protest executive interference in the five-year jail sentence against Anwar Ibrahim.

Sharir, in the absence of Pakatan Rakyat MPs yesterday, spoke for three hours, asserting that Anwar's conviction had nothing to do with the executive as there was clear separation of powers.

"I want to take Johor Bahru to task... We boycotted Parliament as there was clear interference and we were opposed to that.

"Let me remind Johor Bahru that in 1987, when he resigned as MP, (Umno) was split into Team A and Team B, we saw how the executive interfered in the judiciary," said Khalid.

Khalid was referring to then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's move to have the lord president and other judges on the same panel sacked after they ruled to de-register Umno during its internal strife in 1987.

A year later, Shahrir, who was aligned to the faction against Mahathir had resigned as Johor Bahru MP, re-contested as an independent candidate and won the seat after the former premier claimed Shahrir only won because of Umno.

Khalid said Anwar's rushed conviction on March 7 was specifically to prevent the political veteran from contesting in the Kajang by-election.

'Musa Hitam dragged in as well'

Sharir, who appeared amused, was outside the house and heard his brother on the speakers. He later made his way back in.

Interjecting his brother, who is a second-term MP, Shahrir said it was Anwar's own attempt to repeatedly delay his sodomy trial that led to the sentencing to clash with the Kajang by-election.

At this, Khalid said he would only allow his brother to continue interjecting if he was similarly allowed three hours to speak like Shahrir did yesterday.

Shahrir replied: "I don't think you deserve three hours, perhaps 10 minutes, that is my suggestion to the speaker."

This led the brothers to try to out-talk each other and eventually, Khalid who is known to be much more hot tempered than his elder brother, brought up their uncle.

 

"Do you remember what (former deputy prime minister) Musa Hitam said at our uncle's house? When I asked him why did he not go up against Mahathir, he said he would have ended up like Anwar (get convicted of sodomy)," he said.

Khalid said the government had in 1999 intervened in the judiciary to have Anwar convicted of sodomy and is now doing it again.

Shahrir then interjected, saying that his brother should know better to differentiate between serious and non-serious talk.

Deputy speaker Ismail Mohamed Saif  broke up the spat, saying: "It is difficult for me to control the two of you," which invited more giggles from fellow MPs.