KUALA LUMPUR (July 19): DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang said Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun’s sub judice ruling disallowing a debate on the seizure of Petronas assets by purported heirs of the Sulu Sultanate must be challenged as its undermines four fundamental rights below:
- Freedom of expression, which is enshrined in the Malaysian Constitution;
- Sabah's sovereignty;
- Parliament’s role as the highest political chamber in the land; and
- Integrity of public officials, as the Speaker is the brother of the Attorney-General, establishing a clear case of conflict of interest.
In a statement on Tuesday (July 19), the DAP elder said Parliament must not revert to the time of the 13th Parliament, where the sub judice rule was abused to block any parliamentary examination and questioning of the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) financial scandal.
Things came to a head on Monday as Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis (Warisan-Kota Belud), an opposition Member of Parliament (MP) from Sabah, was suspended from attending the Dewan Rakyat sitting after she ignored the Speaker’s instruction, and insisted on having the motion to debate the claims on Sabah by the purported heirs of the Sulu Sultan.
The motion, which was rejected for the third time in the Dewan Rakyat, became a hot topic of discussion to the extent of causing a war of words between several opposition MPs from Sabah and the Speaker and his deputy Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon.
Azhar also said he had received legal views that it is really a sub judice matter because there are one or two ongoing proceedings.
Kit Siang said the Speaker should review the ruling on his own, or the Kota Belud MP should move a motion under the Standing Orders to review the Speaker’s decision, and both the Speaker and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar must give assurance that time will be allocated for Parliament to review the Speaker’s ruling — either on Thursday or next Monday.
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