All hell broke lose in Parliament today after the House speaker, in an unpopular move among Pakatan Rakyat MPs, cut short the debate session on the controversial DNA Identification Bill.

Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia infuriated the Pakatan camp when he allowed a motion by minister in charge of parliamentary affairs Nazri Abdul Aziz to permit Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar to deliver his winding-up speech before Pakatan MPs could finish expressing their views on the matter.

Pandikar said he allowed the motion because he believed the concerns raised by Pakatan MPs could be debated further when the bill is tabled at the committee stage.

Pandikar also allowed Nazri's motion that the issue of referring the bill to a Parliamentary Select Committee be debated only at the committee stage despite protests from opposition MPs.

The committee stage is where a bill is scrutinised from technical aspects and only comes after the debate session at the policy stage has been concluded.

Following this, shouts of discontent were heard from Fong Po Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah), who objected the decision made by Pandikar.

PAS Youth chief Salahuddin Ayub (PKR-Kubang Kerian) followed in Fong's footsteps to protest, and pleaded that the bill be referred to a Parliamentary Select Committee for review.

A Parliamentary Select Committee is tasked with collecting feedback not only from the public, but various quarters to address any flaws in the bill. Once this is done, the bill is put up for debate again.

Echoing Salahuddin's call was DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang who rationalised the need to refer the bill to a Parliamentary Select Committee.

"What is the reason not to refer it to a Parliamentary Select Committee? It would help Parliament focus on the flaws of the bill and make necessary amendments," said Lim.

No assurance flawed bill will be amended

PKR vice-president Azmin Ali (PKR-Gombak) agreed with Syed Hamid that the debate be brought forward to the committee stage.

"But can the minister give his assurance that the concerns raised by us (Pakatan MPs) and the proposed amendments made by us be made by the committee?" asked Azmin.

Syed Hamid, in his response to Azmin however, said his (Azmin's) suggestion was not valid as it was up to the committee to decide on whether or not concerns raised by opposition MPs be taken into consideration.

"Yang Berhormat, we cannot do what you are suggesting. You are already trying to take the role of the government by making such suggestions," quipped Syed Hamid.

Ever since the bill was tabled for second reading, Pakatan MPs have called for a Parliamentary Select Committee to be established.

This is so that the bill, which opposition MPs claim contains various flaws, can be reviewed for necessary amendments.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his deputy Najib Abdul Razak were in the House when the heated arguments took place. However, both kept mum.

Later in the day the Pakatan MPs staged a walkout from the House over Pandikar's failure to refer the bill to the select committee.