Pendang MP ejected from Dewan Rakyat for 'anak bapa' remark

PARLIAMENT | Awang Solahuddin Hashim (Perikatan Nasional-Pendang) has been ejected from the Dewan Rakyat after a small ruckus erupted over Taufiq Johari (Pakatan Harapan-Sungai Petani) having his motion approved for debate in the special chambers today.

He was asked to leave the august house until after lunch at 2.30pm.

The argument started when Awang Solahuddin said “anak bapa” (father’s son) after Shahidan Kassim (PN-Arau) questioned why Taufiq’s motion which was submitted on Wednesday was approved before his when he submitted his motion on Tuesday.

Taufiq is Dewan Rakyat speaker Johari Abdul’s son.

While announcing the approval of Taufiq’s motion, Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Alice Lau had earlier said the motion was deliberated upon by her fellow deputy speaker Ramli Mohd Nor.

Both Taufiq and RSN Rayer (Harapan-Jelutong) demanded Awang Solahuddin retract his statement, with Taufiq also questioning what the latter meant by “anak bapa”.

“Conflict of interest,” Awang Solahuddin replied simply, which prompted another round of argument.

Taufiq then questioned what Awang Solahuddin meant by “conflict of interest”, but the latter did not answer.

Lau stressed that there is no conflict of interest because Johari let Ramli make the decision on Taufiq’s motion.

Taufiq’s motion was to debate the seizure of 180 metric tonnes of local rice in Kedah on Oct 9.

Opposition leader Hamzah Zainuddin later came to Awang Solahuddin’s defence, saying the Pendang MP was merely stating facts.

“It is not wrong for us to say because he is his father’s son that there is conflict of interest.

“It is true that the conflict of interest caused the deputy speaker to have to make the decision (with regard to Taufiq’s motion),” Hamzah said.

Lau asked Awang Solahuddin to retract his statement but later kicked him out as he did not do so.

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