Batu Gajah MP Fong Po Kuan was visibly upset in the Dewan Rakyat today when speaker Mohamed Zahir Ismail overlooked her notice to debate the Certificate of Legal Practice (CLP) examination fiasco.

Fong, who is also a lawyer, said she sent the notice to Zahir on Thursday evening to debate the recent CLP controversy in which the examination board first nullified the results but later reversed its decision and opted instead for a regrading of the exam papers.

The regrading resulted in about half of those who had passed earlier to fail.

"I send the notice on Thursday, 3.20pm. How can the Parliament proceed like this?" Fong asked, when Zahir gave her an ambivalent answer on whether he had received her notice for the motion.

Zahir had first confirmed receiving the notice but then changed his mind seconds later, saying that he had not. He told her that he would considered her application for the motion, as according to the parliamentary procedures he has 24 hours to make the decision.

24-hour notice

"But, isn't Thursday to Friday, 24 hours, Tun (Speaker)?" Fong asked.

The speaker replied that he received the notice on Friday.

"I submitted (the notice) on Thursday, Tun (Speaker)," she protested.

Fong added that she hoped her motion would not be rejected due to the inefficiency of the House.

According to Fong, she wanted the motion on the controversy to be debated as it involves the integrity of the Malaysian legal profession and the CLP examination. In her motion, she also urged the government to set up a royal commission of inquiry into the matter.

Speaking to reporters later, she said that the speaker has not given her a proper reply as to why her motion for the CLP debate was not brought up in Parliament.

"The issue has happened for more than one month but has yet to be solved," she said, adding that no action has been taken against those responsible, including the CLP examination director Khalid Yussof.

The Legal Profession Qualifying Board held Khalid responsible for the alleged tampering in the CLP examination marks.

EPF defaulters

Meanwhile, on another unrelated issue, Deputy Finance Minister Chan Kong Choy told reporters that the government may consider to amend the Employees Provident Act to provide for a stiffer penalty on errant employers who default on their workers' EPF contributions.

The government would consider amending the Act if the penalty is not heavy enough to act as a deterrent for offending employers, he said. The current penalty include a fine of not more than RM10,000 or six months imprisonment.

When asked how long it would take for the government to make a decision on the matter, he said, "Give us a few months time."