Speaker to discuss action against Tajuddin for swearing in Parliament

KUALA LUMPUR – After causing a ruckus in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday by allegedly uttering profanity and calling some women MPs “indecent”, Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman (Pasir Salak–BN) may or may not reap what he purportedly sowed.  

In the august house today, Speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun said he will have a word with his deputies to determine who was chairing proceedings as well as to truly understand what transpired during the uproar, before deciding on any action. 

“It is obvious that I was not the chair at that time and I am not sure whether it was Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon or Datuk Ramli Mohd Nor. 

“Let me speak to the chair and find out what happened. Let me handle this,” Azhar said.  

He was responding to Lim Guan Eng’s (Bagan-PH) call for Tajuddin to retract the alleged sexist remarks and for uttering swear words.  

Citing Standing Order 36(4), which stipulates that it shall be out of order for MPs to use offensive language or make a sexist remark, Lim said it is only right for Tajuddin to apologise should he have committed such offences.

“It is clear that Tajuddin uttered profanity which is not supposed to be heard in this august house. 

“I hope the Speaker could call him (Tajuddin) up. If he is wrong, he should retract his remarks and apologise.  

“If he did not make such remarks, then be clear that he did not say it. If he is brave enough, take an oath that he did not say such words,” Lim said.

“We will challenge him on that because everyone heard him,” he added.

Yesterday, Tajuddin, a former Umno Supreme Council member, had allegedly uttered a degrading Malay swear word “p*****k”, a term that crudely refers to a woman’s genitals and is demeaning to mothers.

He went into a verbal brawl with opposition MPs, calling them out for labelling him as one of the lawmakers who was prone to making sexist remarks. 

“You don’t know how we treat women, yet you said I disrespect women. Ask Wanita Umno (if they are being mistreated). 

“Some of you have bad mouths. I don’t want to take names. They (like to) stoke flames, instigate and challenge me and the speaker,” he said. 

He added that he had a problem with several DAP women members he accused of being “tak senonoh” (indecent) and “mulut cabul” (foul-mouthed).

His statement struck a wrong chord with the opposition MPs, resulting in them standing up to demand him to apologise and retract his statement.  

During the shouting match between Tajuddin and MPs from the opposition bloc, their microphones were switched off by deputy speaker Rashid. 

Several opposition MPs then revealed that Tajuddin had said the derogatory word when the mics were muted. 

Tajuddin was then issued a warning by Rashid and he left the Parliament sitting shortly after. – The Vibes, July 21, 2022