M Kayveas, the deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department, apparently knows which button to push in the Dewan Rakyat, to rile up opposition parliamentarians.

A fortnight ago , he described them as monkeys even as a delegation from the European Parliamentary Union looked on.

Today, he triggered another round of commotion in the house with the same remark while winding up on the Judges' Remuneration (Amendment) Bill 2005.

Saying that judges should not be blamed for the delay of court cases, he called on the Bar Council or lawyers to carry out research into how many cases have been postponed "because lawyers have asked for postponements".

Chong Chieng Jen (DAP-Bandar Kuching) stood up to seek clarification, but Kayveas declined to give him the floor.

"I don't want to give way... What behaviour are you showing here? Do you understand regulations? I said let me finish what I have to say first... When I say you behave like a monkey, then you are angry," Kayveas said.

Parliamentary Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur) did not let that pass without a challenge.

"Why do we allow him to answer like a monkey? ... he has humiliated the honorable House... This is the third time someone has deliberately (used the word 'monkey' in the House).

"May be he did not get headlines in the media. But we cannot let him go the third time. He must retract his word... if he refuses, refer him to disciplinary committee," said the furious MP.

Unmoved, Kayveas interrupted: "You are the biggest monkey... this is not show time, you sit down. I don't have time to watch your show."

Ruling made

Deputy speaker Lim Si Cheng stepped in to resolve the dispute by telling Kayveas to retract the words.

"I hope 'monkey' or 'like a monkey' will not be used again in this House," Si Cheng said.

An unrepentant Kayveas initially refused to comply.

"We can check the Hansard. The opposition has always used words like 'monkey' and celaka in the House..."

Before he could finish his sentence, however, opposition parliamentarians began collectively shouting at him to retract his remark.

"I did not say anything just now..." Kayveas protested.

"Why do you dare say things but don't dare admit it?" asked Chong.

The deputy speaker again advised Kayveas to withdraw his remark to allow the sitting to proceed smoothly, but he would not.

"I did not say anything that I should retract," he claimed.

This outraged Kit Siang: "He said 'monkey' and 'like a monkey'. If he declines to retract and apologise, don't allow him to carry on. Chase him out of the House!"

The commotion ended when Si Cheng directed Kayveas to make the retraction.

"I can chase anyone out of the house... A ruling has been made. The word 'monkey' cannot be used in the House. To allow the sitting to carry on smoothly, please retract it," he said.

Kayveas finally said: "I retract the word... he does not behave like a monkey."

Earlier, Kayveas had argued that it was timely to elevate senior Court of Appeal judge Gopal Sri Ram to the Federal Court.

M Kulasegaran (DAPIpoh Barat) lamented that Gopal, a veteran judge, had been leapfrogged by those junior to him several times.