Second BN walkout as motion against CM fails

BN representatives walked out of the Penang legislative assembly today for the second time since the sitting began, after the speaker rejected their motion to refer Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to the rights and privileges committee.

This morning, Jasmin Mohammad (BN-Sungai Dua) raised the issue under Standing Order 34.8 which requires the House to debate a motion if it is supported by 10 assemblypersons.

The motion has to be of an important and urgent nature and one that affects the public interest.

"This is also in line with Section 46(17c) of the Standing Order which prohibits words used to create misunderstanding between the races," Jasmin said, referring to a disputed remark on the status of Hindu temples, should BN wrest back the state in the next general election.

All 11 BN representatives then stood up to support the motion.

However, speaker Abdul Halim Hussain (right) rejected the bid, saying he had checked the Hansard and found the verbatim record merely states that Lim had said "I felt that temples would be threatened".

"He did not say that all temples would be demolished if Umno comes to power,” the speaker clarified.

RSN Rayer (DAP-Seri Delima) pointed out that the speaker should have asked if anyone opposes the motion. If objections are raised, he said, the issue would not have to be discussed urgently.

Jasmin urged the speaker to consider the issue appropriately, insisting that 'everyone heard" what Lim had said.

Syed Ameruddin Syed Ahmad (BN-Bayan Lepas) asked: "Is the speaker afraid (to allow debate on the motion)?"

State Opposition Leader Azhar Ibrahim (left) threatened to lodge reports with the police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), alleging that the Hansard account could have been "manipulated".

"The CM has lied too much. We will lodge a police report and also take the issue to the MACC, Let’s see if that can be manipulated," he added.

The BN assemblypersons then walked out of the House in protest, just as they had yesterday when Lim refused to withdraw the purported statement.

Mayhem in the House

There was mayhem in the House earlier when Rayer accused Umno of lying in claiming that PAS was responsible for the demolition of a 50-year-old Hindu temple in Prai.

Rayer had demanded that Hilmi Yahya (BN-Telok Bahang) shows proof of his allegation that a PAS member had demolished the temple.

He alleged that Umno had previously resorted to such tactics, having blaming PAS when a protestor climbed the gates to the state assembly building last year.

Hilmi, the former deputy chief minister, countered that Rayer  was ‘transferring’ his lies in that "when people like to lie, they think others lie also".

Rayer (left) continued to insist that Hilmi provides the House the details of the ‘PAS member’ who had demolished the temple located on federal land.

Hilmi then read out the name, as well as MyKad and membership numbers, of the purported PAS member, who is the general manager of the Penang Port Authority Cargo Terminal.

Rayer's manner in addressing the BN representatives, using the words "you orang (people)”, led to a shouting match among several representatives.

Abdul Halim had to restrain them and to order Rayer, Mohd Arif Mohd Shah (BN-Seberang Jaya) and Shabudin Yahaya (BN-Permatang Berangan) to sit.

"This is not a place to shout. I will ask all three to leave the Dewan (if this continues),” he warned.