KOTA KINABALU – The two Warisan MPs at the centre of the verbal match with Dewan Rakyat speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun in Parliament recently returned to the city here amidst a jubilant reception, today.
Kota Belud MP Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis and Sepanggar MP Datuk Azis Jamman were welcomed by over 100-strong party supporters at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport, where they told reporters that they will continue to press for the Sulu sultanate claims motion to be debated in parliament again when it reconvenes on Monday.
Both MPs had also attended the closed door briefing organised by the government on the Sulu claims last night, pointing out that the briefing only involved the chronology of events leading to the Petronas assets seizure.
Azis said he would not be able to give more information, as the details on matters discussed have been placed under the Official Secrets Act.
“Honestly, I am not satisfied with the briefing. There are just too many questions that remain unanswered. Perhaps it is a time factor. There was nothing secret anyway, just a series of events leading to the seizure.
“Anyway, this is why we need this matter to be raised in Parliament,” he said.
“As an MP, I wish to inform the government that we know our limits, and we would not raise stuff that would jeopardise the government’s strategy in dealing with this problem,” he added.
Echoing similar sentiments, Isnaraissah also said while she is unable to speak in detail regarding the briefing, she hopes the matter could still be debated in Parliament.
“When debating this (Sulu) claim, this does not mean we are recognising the Sulu sultanate claim…but we must understand that many Sabahans want to know what happened,” she said.
On Monday, Isnaraissah was ejected from the Dewan Rakyat and suspended for two days after pressing for the motion of the seizure of Petronas assets by Sulu claimants to be debated.
Other opposition lawmakers also refused to pass up the opportunity to question Azhar over his alleged conflict of interest after his brother Attorney-General Tan Sri Idrus Harun said he would “look into” the reported seizure of two Petronas subsidiaries over claims made by the descendants of the Sulu sultanate.
The ruckus reached a fever pitch and went on for more than 20 minutes that saw Azhar walking off.
He was relieved by Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon (Batu Pahat-Bersatu), who failed to quell the rage among the lawmakers.
Following the fiery exchange, Isnaraissah did not back down and was handed a two-day suspension by Rashid for interrupting proceedings in the Dewan Rakyat.
This saw several opposition MPs walking to her seat and surrounding Isnaraissah to prevent the bailiffs from removing her.
On Monday, a shouting match occurred after Isnaraissah demanded the speaker to allow her motion for a debate on the Sulu claim.
This comes following the seizure of two Petronas assets in Azerbaijan by Luxembourg authorities on behalf of the Sulu sultanate heirs. – The Vibes, July 22, 2022
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