Bersatu Youth: Wan Fayhsal's 'cowardly' suspension violates democratic tenets

The “cowardly” suspension of Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal from Parliament for six months violates the democratic principles of the country, Bersatu Youth said.

According to the wing’s assistant secretary Muhammad Faiz Rahmad, this is because the Bersatu Youth chief was not given the chance to defend himself from the charges levelled against him.

“No one should be judged without a fair trial, and everyone should be given a chance to answer accusations thrown at them (audiatur et altera pars).

“This is an important concept in the country’s legal system to ensure that justice is upheld, and everyone is treated fairly. Unfortunately, this did not happen in Machang MP’s case,” Faiz said in a statement today.

On Thursday, Wan Fayhsal was suspended from Parliament for six months with 110 MPs voting in favour, 63 against, and three abstaining. Another 46 MPs were absent.

‘Cruelty and oppression’

The decision came after Wan Fayhsal cited an anonymous letter during parliamentary debates on July 1, that purportedly maligns civil servants using unverified information.

The letter named an officer in the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) as the purported “mastermind” of the plan to privatise Malaysia Airport Holdings Bhd and portrayed the officer in a negative light.

Commenting further, Faiz said Wan Fayhsal should have been referred to the Parliamentary Special Select Committee On Fundamental Liberty And Constitutional Rights to allow him to hand in any evidence he had, rather than being suspended.

Faiz said suspending Wan Fayhsal for merely asking for an explanation from the government, and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on the matter was a form of “cruelty and oppression” against opposition lawmakers.

“The motion brought to suspend the Machang MP also does not meet the condition as stipulated in Parliament rules, where EPF officials are not government officials because they did not go through the recruitment process by the Public Service Commission (SPA), and do not receive salary and benefits through the Accountant-General’s Department.

“The government also seem disinterested in scrutinising or investigating the contents of the letter received by Machang MP regarding the MAHB asset sales deal.

“Bersatu Youth condemns the government and the Dewan Rakyat speaker for pushing through the motion and stands in solidarity with Wan Fayhsal.”

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