Several Barisan Nasional MPs tried to stop an opposition MP from suggesting that the prime minister was a "terrorist" in Parliament today.

While debating the proposed 2002 budget, national laureate Shahnon Ahmad (PAS - Sik) told parliamentarians there were two types of terrorism.

According to Shahnon, the Sept 11 terrorist attacks on New York's World Trade Center and Washington's Pentagon and the following air strikes and bombs on Afghanistan's Taliban government were considered "naked" terrorism.

However, he said, another kind of terrorism existed in Malaysia, that of the "decorated" variety in the form of violation of basic human rights, corruption and abuse of the people's money for mega-projects.

"With this kind of decorated terrorism, we can label the government as terrorist. We can also say the prime minister is a terrorist," said the MP who had been on sick leave for several months but was present in the House today.

Making a fuss

No one made an issue out of the accusation until Shahnon repeated it several times.

MPs Ruhanie Ahmad (BN - Parit Sulong) and Raja Ahmad Zainuddin Raja Omar (BN - Larut) then stood up and raised the point of order which states that no MP should be prejudiced against another MP.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad is MP for Kubang Pasu.

Ruhanie and Raja Ahmad insisted that Shahnon sat down before the point of order was raised but the PAS MP refused to comply.

Deputy speaker Lim Si Cheng requested Ruhanie and Raja Ahmad to state their point of order. Still, both MPs insisted that Shahnon should first stand down.

Kerk Kim Hock (DAP - Kota Melaka) then stood up to demand which point of order the MPs had wanted to raise.

At this point Ruhanie shot back: "Why are you making a fuss? DAP is already divorced from PAS."

Finally, Lim requested the MPs to calm down and Shahnon was allowed to continue his speech.