Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Mulia Amin yesterday rejected independent MP Ibrahim Ali’s motion to debate the controversial Bar Council forum on conversion to Islam.

The MP for Pasir Mas revealed this today before the House was about to resume debating the National Kenaf and Tobacco bill.

ibrahim ali Met later, Ibrahim said he had filed the motion last Thursday but was informed in writing by Pandikar that the motion was rejected because he found that Ibrahim wanted to debate on various matters instead of just a particular one.

According to Ibrahim, the speaker in the letter had also rejected his motion because Amin thought the matter was not urgent enough to be debated.

"He should not have rejected the motion before it was tabled. At least let me table it first as other MPs may find it important to debate on the issue," said Ibrahim.

Under the Parliamentary Standing Order, motions for the House to urgently debate on any particular issues must fulfil three criteria.

The issue must be of a specific matter, of public importance and of urgency.

'Dangerous trend'

Ibrahim said he had wanted to address numerous matters like the issues of non-Malays questioning Malay privileges as well as Islamic issues which he found to be "a dangerous trend that requires the House to address it immediately."

The MP said all the issues he wanted to raise were placed under one major topic which is the Bar Council forum on conversion to Islam but lamented that the speaker had failed to understand this.

"I am upset and frustrated by this rejection. This matter is of utmost importance and needs urgent attention as the issue may sow racial hatred among Malaysian citizens," said Ibrahim.

The Bar Council forum came to a premature end when individuals from various Islamist groups staged a protest at the venue.

Racial chants and insults were hurled towards forum participants and two petrol bombs were spotted by the police just outside the Bar Council building in Kuala Lumpur.

Second rejection

Meanwhile, Ibrahim also had his second motion rejected by Pandikar Amin.

His second motion was to debate on the petrol price issue. The MP wanted to know if the government would reduce the price now that global fuel prices have reduced.

"But he (the speaker) rejected it as well because he said that the matter was not an urgent one. I believe otherwise, this matter is an urgent matter as it involves the lives of the rakyat," said Ibrahim.

"The prime minister said that fuel prices cannot be reduced immediately due to technical reasons but when he increased the price, where were the technical reasons?" he asked.