KUALA LUMPUR – The Dewan Rakyat erupted in chaos today when lawmakers across the aisle exchanged verbal blows over allegedly slanderous statements made nearly ten years ago against political parties.
Tensions began to rise when Ahmad Tarmizi Sulaiman (Sik-PN) ended his debate on Budget 2023 at the committee stage for the Home Ministry by questioning the government on the status of investigations into allegations made by RSN Rayer (Jelutong-PH) in 2014.
“What has happened to (probes into) a statement made by (Rayer) where he claimed that Umno is a ‘celaka’ party? At that time, his accusation was considered an insult to Malays and Muslims,” he said.
In response, Rayer stood up and cited Standing Order 36(6), which stipulates that no member shall impute improper motives to any other member, inciting loud cheers from government backbenchers.
Pointing out that the court judgement over his statement found him not guilty, the DAP man called on PAS’s Tarmizi to retract his statement.
“Sik (Tarmizi) must withdraw his statement (on my assertion). I was charged and found not guilty, unlike Pagoh (Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin) who remains with his stand that PAS is a heretic party,” he said.
When ordered by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Johari Abdul to take back his comments on Rayer, Tarmizi defended his statement, saying: “I did not accuse him (Rayer) of anything. I was just asking the ministry what the status of his case is.”
“He has answered, so the matter is clear. However, I ask that (Rayer) be made to retract his accusations towards Pagoh (Muhyiddin),” he said before eventually withdrawing his statement at Johari’s insistence.
Subsequently, PAS Youth chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (Pasir Mas-PN) took issue with Rayer’s allegations towards the alleged assertions made by Muhyiddin, who is also Perikatan Nasional chairman and Bersatu president, in 2013.
“How does he (Rayer) know that (Muhyiddin) still thinks that PAS is a heretic party?” he questioned, while pointing to Standing Order 36(12) on how members who mislead the House are deemed to be in contempt of the House.
Amid the uproar caused by the fire levelled at Rayer, the lawmaker managed to speak over the noise to rephrase his comment on Muhyiddin, saying: “I will rephrase (my comment to say that) Pagoh (Muhyiddin) said during a ceramah that PAS is a heretic party.”
The lower House then resumed its proceedings. – The Vibes, March 27, 2023
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