'Maybe PAS president can answer,' Kula says on 'Israel link' query

PARLIAMENT | Dewan Rakyat speaker Johari Abdul today ordered a deputy minister not to entertain a question raised by RSN Rayer (Harapan-Jelutong) when debating a bill to amend the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma).

During the debate session, Rayer had turned from speaking about Sosma provisions to questioning the role of a Perikatan Nasional-linked lawyer in defending an Israeli national recently arrested and charged with being in possession of firearms and bullets.

While saying he acknowledged it is within a lawyer’s right to defend any client in court, the DAP representative claimed that someone who represented a political party should not have taken up such a case.

“I was accused this morning of being someone who is anti-Islam. The other side (opposition) had always made such statements.

“But by principle, is it appropriate for someone who had contested an election on a PN ticket to defend an Israeli citizen accused of being in possession of firearms and bullets?

“What does the other side think about this? When we had been condemning Israel and its atrocities against Palestinians...,” Rayer said.

He was referring to lawyer Naran Singh, who contested for PN in Perak during the 15th general election. The accused, Avitan Shalom, reportedly hired Naran to represent him in his criminal trial.

Rayer’s statement caused an uproar among PN representatives, who criticised the Jelutong MP for diverting from the main issue in the discussion.

‘No need to respond’

Later, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M Kulasegaran in his winding-up speech touched on the issue.

As he described Rayer’s question as “having gone far to a different country”, Kulasegaran (above) was stopped short by Johari who told him not to entertain Rayer’s question.

“I do not allow you to answer that question. You do not have to answer that,” the speaker said.

While he agreed to abide by the order, Kulasegaran mentioned that perhaps PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang who was present should answer the issue instead.

“Since Tan Sri (Johari) said I don’t have to answer it, then okay. But the PAS president is here.

“Perhaps the question raised by Jelutong can be answered by the PAS president,” he said.

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