KUALA LUMPUR – There is no need to investigate claims of alleged intimidation made by Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong (Ayer Hitam-BN) as the federal constitution affords lawmakers legal immunity for matters raised in Parliament, said Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Johari Abdul.
Johari said this in response to Datuk Seri Johari Ghani (Titiwangsa-BN), who earlier today urged the speaker to launch an inquiry into Wee’s assertion that he was improperly pressured to retract a statement he had issued in the lower House.
“There is no law that can be used against MPs speaking in Parliament. If he (Wee) was speaking outside of Parliament, that would be a different story.
“There is no need to investigate (Wee’s claims). Look at the federal constitution, it is very clear (on the matter),” the speaker said to reporters in Parliament today.
His comments today are similar to what he had written to Wee previously when the Ayer Hitam MP sought advice from the speaker after receiving two letters of demand from egg-importing company J&E Advance Tech Sdn Bhd.
In his letter to Wee, the speaker noted that Article 63 of the federal constitution affords protection to MPs for what is said in any parliamentary session.
The legal letters to Wee followed his questioning of the government’s decision to import eggs from India, and that relying on egg imports from the country was not the solution for its shortage.
Yesterday, Wee had told the Dewan Rakyat that a person going by the name of “Deepak” had called him on March 13 in an apparent attempt to “silence” him over his recent statements on the country's egg imports from India.
Wee said that the individual who called him also claimed to have purportedly discussed the issue with the Prime Minister’s Office and agreed that Wee should make a statement to resolve the matter out of court.
In a press conference today, Wee doubled down on his claims, pointing out that the caller’s profile picture also resembled Deepak Jaikishan, the local businessman at the centre of the egg import controversy.
The avatar has since been changed following the MCA leader’s decision to expose the call in Parliament yesterday, while Deepak has also issued a statement denying ever contacting Wee to demand a retraction of the latter’s remarks on egg imports. – The Vibes, March 16, 2023
