KUALA LUMPUR – A ruckus broke out in the Dewan Rakyat today after Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing (GPS-Bintulu) accused Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah of fearing death, citing the health director-general’s “refusal to go to the ground” to fight Covid-19 alongside frontliners.
The ensuing chaos saw R.S.N. Rayer (PH-Jelutong) being ejected from the House after he kept demanding that Tiong retract his remarks, ignoring Deputy Speaker Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said’s order for him to sit.
In his Budget 2021 debate, Tiong questioned Dr Noor Hisham’s reluctance to visit hospitals and assist those on the front line of the fight against the pandemic, and accused the latter of only hogging the news.
“Don’t just send your men. (Are you saying) these frontliners are not afraid of death, but the director-general is?
“Even his deputy is not on the ground. Stop trying to gain only publicity.”
This led to a number of opposition MPs, including Rayer, to interject, urging Tiong to respect Dr Noor Hisham and retract his statement.
The Sarawak lawmaker refused to do so, and stuck to his earlier remark that “the director-general is afraid of dying”.
A shouting match followed, with Azalina calling on Rayer to sit down to allow her to make a ruling.
The MP replied: “I won’t sit until Bintulu retracts his statement.”
Azalina then ordered Rayer to leave the House, before asking the sergeant-at-arms to escort him out when he refused to leave himself.
When proceedings resumed, she asked if Tiong wanted to apologise for his remarks or provide an explanation.
He maintained that he will not retract his statement, saying he is merely passing along the message of frontliners and the public.
Other attempts by Pakatan Harapan MPs to demand that Azalina make a ruling and reprimand Tiong failed, and the lawmaker was asked to carry on with his debate. – The Vibes, November 11, 2020
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