The Dewan Rakyat descended into the supernatural this afternoon with both ruling and opposition MP invoking spectres.

DAP's Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng defended his father Lim Kit Siang's presence in the House and disputed Noh Omar (BN-Tanjong Karang) describing the DAP veteran as a “hantu” (ghost).

Lim, who is also Penang chief minister, said there is no “hantu” in Dewan Rakyat, except that of murdered Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.

“I wish to refer to the 'hantu' remark (against Kit Siang). If 'hantu', there is only Altantuya.

“Gelang Patah (Kit Siang) is still here, he is real. If there is a 'hantu', it is only Altantuya's 'hantu,” Lim added.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's close associate Abdul Razak Baginda was implicated in the gruesome murder of the Mongolian national in 2006 in Puncak Alam, Selangor, but was later discharged.

Two former police special forces were sentenced to death for the murder but one of them had since fled to Australia and is being held at an immigration detention centre in Melbourne.

Najib, who was then deputy prime minister, had sworn on the Quran that he did not know Altantuya and the police also cleared him of any wrongdoing.

The ghost jibe was due to Kit Siang's disputed status in the Dewan Rakyat.

Vote on the motion to suspend not taken

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Azalina Othman yesterday tabled a motion in Parliament to suspend Kit Siang for six months, after a war of words on the Election Commission's constituency redelineation report.

However, a vote was never taken as Pandikar changed his mind and temporarily adjourned the House, demanding that Kit Siang remove himself when he returns.

Kit Siang refused to comply and remained in the Dewan Rakyat, prompting Pandikar to ignore him ever since.

During the debate today, Mohd Zulkifly Jusoh (BN-Setiu) asked Pandikar to enforce the suspension under Standing Order 44(5).

Standing Order 44(5) states that a suspended MP "shall be ordered to withdraw from the meeting and disallowed to participate in the meeting until the expiration of the suspension period".

However, Pandikar sarcastically said that he could not see Kit Siang in the House, even though the latter was present at his seat.

"I can't see Gelang Patah in the Dewan. If I see him, I would need to ask him to leave again," he said.

Meanwhile, DA's Seremban MP Anthony Loke insisted that Kit Siang was not suspended.

"When Azalina read the motion yesterday, the speaker wanted to do a voice vote and we stood up to ask for clarification before the motion is to be debated, but the vote was not taken.

"So, as far as we concerned, the motion was never passed, so Gelang Patah can still play the role as MP," Loke said.