BN lawmakers walk out during debate on Bersih

S’GOR ASSEMBLY The BN lawmakers walked out of the Selangor state assembly sitting when the speaker suspended Kuang assemblyperson Abdul Shukor Idrus for mentioning the name of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in the chambers.

Sweeping his papers on his desk to the ground after speaker Teng Chang Khim ordered a three-day suspension, an infuriated Abdul Shukor (centre in photo) stormed out of the house together with the other BN assemblypersons.

“It’s not fair! The speaker is not fair!” he exclaimed when met by reporters outside the state assembly at Shah Alam this afternoon.

In the emergency motion to debate on the Bersih 2.0 rally last weekend, Abdul Shukor had mentioned the Agong’s name to state that the ruler as well as the Sultan of Selangor had previously advised against a street demonstration.

This prompted Kampung Tunku assemblyperson Lau Weng San to quote Article 36(7) of the Standing Orders which prohibits the mention of the Agong, Sultans and the Penang and Malacca governors’ names to influence the chambers.

When the speaker rebuked Abdul Shukor, it quickly escalated into a shouting match between Teng and the BN assemblypersons, to which Teng in the end delivered the suspension.

“I just don’t understand this speaker. We cannot even discuss about the illegal rally in the first place, which has already been declared illegal.

“This insults the state assembly. It is just unfair that the speaker is allowing (the Pakatan assemblypersons) to debate on this illegal assembly but won’t allow me to finish my debate... If they can’t even stand to hear the Agong or Sultan’s name, they might as well not be Malaysian citizens,” said Abdul Shukor.

Pouring more vitriol on the Pakatan assemblypersons and the speaker, Abdul Shukor said that the BN assemblypersons had “given a chance” to the Pakatan lawmakers to debate.

“And yet they won’t let me finish whatever I have to say,” he said, flanked by the eight other BN assemblypersons.

Speaker on a suspension roll

Earlier this morning, Teng suspended Opposition Leader and Seri Serdang assemblyperson Satim Diman when he refused to obey the speaker’s orders to sit down.

Satim (left) had earlier crossed swords with Ng Suee Lim (DAP-Sekinchan) when Ng wanted to quote a Quranic verse in his debate in the supplementary budget bill.

Standing up repeatedly to object to Ng quoting Islamic verse, Satim said that he was not a Muslim and therefore should not be quoting Islamic verses.

However, Teng told Satim to sit down, disallowing his objection and asking Ng to continue with his speech. Satim tried to argue his case, prompting a fiery backlash from the speaker, who repeatedly told him to sit down before suspending him for a day.

In a press conference later, Teng said that Abdul Shukor had attempted to also read the decree by the Sultan of Selangor Sharafuddin Idris Shah on Friday which had condemned the demonstration.

“When you read out the decree, that’s tantamount to influencing the House,” said Teng.

On top of that, he later justified the suspension based on Abdul Shukor’s behaviour when Teng reprimanded him in the chambers.

“He was throwing his papers and books to the floor and then he yelled at me. It is not a polite and decent thing to do and I cannot allow that.

“I cannot let whatever that happens in Parliament to happen in this state assembly,” said Teng.

Rally causes RM100m lost in tourism: Yen Yen