DAP MP slams Wee for 'doing opposition's job'

Kampar MP Chong Zhemin has questioned why MCA president Wee Ka Siong is doing the opposition’s work.

Chong (above, right) told a press conference in Parliament that Wee had referred Rafizi Ramli to the Parliamentary Rights and Privileges Committee, using Standing Order 36(12) against the economy minister, which does not take intent into account, the DAP MP said today.

“And I want to say for the record here, for the whole of Parliament’s history in Malaysia, there has never been a backbencher who has used Standing Order 36(12) to refer their own cabinet minister, a frontbencher, to the Rights and Privileges Committee,” he said.

According to the Standing Orders of the Dewan Rakyat, 36(12) states that any member who imputes statements that mislead the Dewan Rakyat is in contempt of the house and may be referred to the privileges committee for the offence.

On Nov 6, when delivering his ministry’s Supply Bill 2025 winding-up speech, Rafizi hit out at Wee over the Central Database Hub’s (Padu) development cost.

“I want to make a small correction on the allegation that Padu was developed with a cost of RM85 million as Ayer Hitam (Wee) always says on TikTok.

“That allegation is not true,” said Rafizi, adding that Padu’s total cost as of September was only RM31 million.

The next day (Nov 7), Wee hit back in Parliament, saying he found the RM85 million figure cited in reports by multiple news outlets, including PKR mouthpiece Suara Keadilan.

Chong later brought Standing Orders 36(6) and 36(12) against Wee for confusing the House.

No prima facie case

On Nov 18, Dewan Rakyat speaker Johari Abdul ruled that there did not exist a prima facie case against Wee as the motion did not fulfil three necessary conditions:

The statement needs to be one that results in confusion in the house, the member of the house making the statement needs to know at the material point in time that the statement contains inaccurate elements, and while delivering the statement, the member must have the intention to confuse the house.

However, Chong today claimed that Wee had retaliated by wielding the same Standing Order against him.

Wee, in a letter to the speaker dated Nov 18, stated that he did so to clear his name.

Chong said that he had responded to the speaker yesterday.

“I am confident there is no case (against me) at all,” he said.

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