Ramkarpal: Speaker's court request to let Najib debate in Parliament 'unacceptable'

PARLIAMENT | The request by Dewan Rakyat speaker Azhar Azizan Harun for an adjournment of Pekan MP Najib Abdul Razak's 1MDB trial to enable him to debate in Parliament is unacceptable conduct, said Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh.

Ramkarpal (above) said Azhar's action in writing to the High Court judge last week may give rise to a perception of bias on his part towards certain members of the House.

"Azhar may have his own justification for doing what he did but he must at the same time realise that he has a duty to the public in ensuring that the image of the House is jealously protected at all times.

"The doctrine of separation of powers means just that, a separation of the three branches of government, namely the executive, legislature and the judiciary for the purpose of ensuring their independence," he said in a statement today. 

He added that as speaker of the House, the latter should concentrate on the business of the House and nothing else.

Azhar had clarified in the Dewan Rakyat today that he has discretion on the matter and that his letter was not an order, but a request for consideration.

He said this in response to a request by Chang Lih Kang (Harapan-Tanjung Malim) for clarification on the issue.

Don't spin the letter issue

Meanwhile, senior lawyer Haniff Khatri Abdulla defended the letter, saying that Azhar had the right to do so.

"When any application of the adjournment is refused by the court orally, it is the right of the speaker to confirm to the court that Najib (above) has been given a slot to speak.

"That confirmation in writing would assist the court in exercising the discretion whether to allow the accused to attend Parliament to carry out his duty as MP," he told Malaysiakini.

Haniff said that the letter does not mean that Parliament is bending itself backwards to defend the former premier.

"Don't try to spin the issue to show as if the system is bending backwards to assist a criminal, when in fact one can only say that he's a criminal once the court finds him guilty," he added.

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