Karpal Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor) asked a rather pertinent question in Parliament today.

"Why is it that nobody dare to touch Khairy Jamaluddin? Is it because he is the son-in-law of the Prime Minister (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi)?" the DAP chairperson posed.

Karpal brought up the question when he took the Umno Youth deputy chief to task for his recent racist remarks against the Chinese community.

"His remarks are deemed as seditious under the Sedition Act and he can be jailed up to three years or fine RM3,000 once convicted in court," said Karpal, who is also a prominent lawyer.

"Will the attorney-general (Abdul Gani Patail) initiate action against him?"

At this point, House speaker Ramli Ngah Talib advised Karpal to focus his speech on matters related to the 2007 Budget, but Karpal insisted that he had "the right to debate any topic".

The opposition politician also criticised the way Khairy handed over a memorandum to US State Secretary Condoleezza Rice when the latter attended an Asean meeting in Kuala Lumpur in July.

"The police had initially tried to stop him from going into the conference venue. Later, they relented and let him in - is this because he is the premier's son-in-law?" Karpal posed.

Verbal exchange

Earlier, the veteran oppositionist had an verbal exchange in the House with backbencher Bung Moktar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan).

It started when Karpal questioned the language pollution in the budget speech of the prime minister last Friday.

The MP claimed about 150 words originating from English were used in the budget speech such as misi (mission) and bajet (budget).

"We have used belanjawan all these years, why changed it to bajet ?" he asked, while sitting in his wheelchair. The opposition leader is recovering from a car accident early last year.

He also questioned the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka's role in ensuring that proper Malay words are being used.

Karpal then reminded the House of a pandemonium during the last parliamentary session in June when Bung asked why the 'about to die' Karpal was still attending the sitting.

Karpal: He said I should be grateful I did not die from the accident but merely injured. Can we allow this kind of language being used in this House? The person who said this is insane.

Bung interjects: Wah , very smart to talk about other people now, you said I am bigfoot in Sabah and now you have forgotten. If you apologise now, I will retract the remark.

Karpal: If you are a jantan (man), you withdraw the remark first.

Bung: If you are a betina (woman), you withdraw the remark.

Moving on, Karpal questioned a joke made by Wong Nai Chee (BN-Kota Melaka) during the debate on the amendments of sexual offences in the Penal Code at the previous sitting.

Wong had cracked in the House that he was willing to be raped by his wife in response to a backbencher's question on what should be done in a situation when a wife 'rapes' the husband.

"Wong should withdraw the remark and apologise. It is still in the Hansard and this will be recorded as history," argued Karpal.

'Frivolous issues'

The Bukit Gelugor MP also took Mohd Said Yusof (BN-Jasin) to task, asking "why do we let him exploit this platform for his personal interest? Has the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) take any action? He should be referred to the Privileges Committee," said Karpal.

Mohd Said, embroiled in a recent controversy with the Customs Department, interjected at this juncture to defend himself and teased Karpal instead.

"When I heard that the DAP chairman wants to speak, I thought he will give some great ideas to the government on the budget but he is harping on frivolous issues like the language that is used.

"Don't be angry if the whole Jasin and Malacca people turn against the DAP," Mohd Said shot back.

Karpal rebutted, "How could you consider ACA investigation against you as frivolous?"