D-day for Karpal tomorrow
Beh Lih YiPublished: Sep 1, 2004 6:43 PM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 6:21 PM
The Parliamentary Privileges C ommittee will table its report tomorrow in the Dewan Rakyat on the disciplinary action it has recommended against Bukit Gelugor Member of Parliament Karpal Singh.
If opposition parliamentarian Karpal Singh refuses to tender an apology in Parliament, he is liable to face a six-month suspension.
The Parliamentary Privileges Committee will table its report tomorrow in the Dewan Rakyat on the disciplinary action it has recommended against Bukit Gelugor Member of Parliament Karpal Singh.
Sources told malaysiakini that the committee will recommend that Karpal, who is also DAP deputy chief, be asked to apologise and then serve out a 10-day suspension from the House.
If he refuses to tender an apology, he is liable to face a six-month suspension.
The six-member committee's report will be tabled as a motion and debated in the House, after which a vote will be taken.
Karpal was hauled up before the committee for making a 'false statement and for misdirecting the House' after he cited the wrong law to protest that some parliamentarians had not raised their right hand while being sworn in for the new parliamentary term on May 17.
The Dewan Rakyat then passed a motion on June 14 to refer him to the Parliamentary Privileges Committee. On July 20, the committee was granted an extension of time to present its findings on the matter.
The committee is chaired by Deputy Speaker Dr Yusof Yacob, with committee members comprising Chor Chee Heung (BN-Alor Setar), Dr James Dawos Mamit (BN-Mambong), Zaid Ibrahim (BN-Kota Bahru), K Devamani (BN-Cameron Highlands) and Chong Eng (DAP-Bukit Mertajam).
Karpal earlier has told malaysiakini that he would not apologise and was prepared for any eventuality.
"The question of an apology does not arise. I believe in apologising if I am wrong, but definitely not because of intimidation... I will not bow to any pressure from any quarter ... this is something unacceptable," he was quoted as saying earlier.
'Goes against spirit'
Contacted for comment, Opposition Leader and DAP chief Lim Kit Siang said the possible action against Karpal "has gone against the whole spirit of the national day". The two had attended the celebrations in Kuantan yesterday.
"During the ceremony, all dignitaries included the King and the Prime Minister (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) raised their right hands," he pointed out.
Karpal is the second MP referred to the Parliamentary Privileges Committee in recent times.
In November 1983, DAP Sandakan MP Fung Ket Wing was referred after taking to task former Sabah Chief Minister Harris Salleh in the House for allegedly owning huge plots of land in Labuan.
The committee, after a eight-month inquiry, found that Fung's allegation was untrue and recommended a verbal warning. However, the House amended this and suspended Fung for nine months.
In 2001, DAP Batu Gajah MP Fong Po Kuan was suspended without allowance for six months after she criticised the House speaker for rejecting her motion to debate a scandal involving the Certificate of Legal Practice examinations.
Fong was not referred to the committee. Instead, a motion calling for her suspension was tabled and passed.
Sources told malaysiakini that the committee will recommend that Karpal, who is also DAP deputy chief, be asked to apologise and then serve out a 10-day suspension from the House. If he refuses to tender an apology, he is liable to face a six-month suspension.
The six-member committee's report will be tabled as a motion and debated in the House, after which a vote will be taken.
Karpal was hauled up before the committee for making a 'false statement and for misdirecting the House' after he cited the wrong law to protest that some parliamentarians had not raised their right hand while being sworn in for the new parliamentary term on May 17.
The Dewan Rakyat then passed a motion on June 14 to refer him to the Parliamentary Privileges Committee. On July 20, the committee was granted an extension of time to present its findings on the matter.
The committee is chaired by Deputy Speaker Dr Yusof Yacob, with committee members comprising Chor Chee Heung (BN-Alor Setar), Dr James Dawos Mamit (BN-Mambong), Zaid Ibrahim (BN-Kota Bahru), K Devamani (BN-Cameron Highlands) and Chong Eng (DAP-Bukit Mertajam).
Karpal earlier has told malaysiakini that he would not apologise and was prepared for any eventuality.
"The question of an apology does not arise. I believe in apologising if I am wrong, but definitely not because of intimidation... I will not bow to any pressure from any quarter ... this is something unacceptable," he was quoted as saying earlier.
'Goes against spirit'
Contacted for comment, Opposition Leader and DAP chief Lim Kit Siang said the possible action against Karpal "has gone against the whole spirit of the national day". The two had attended the celebrations in Kuantan yesterday. "During the ceremony, all dignitaries included the King and the Prime Minister (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) raised their right hands," he pointed out.
Karpal is the second MP referred to the Parliamentary Privileges Committee in recent times.
In November 1983, DAP Sandakan MP Fung Ket Wing was referred after taking to task former Sabah Chief Minister Harris Salleh in the House for allegedly owning huge plots of land in Labuan.
The committee, after a eight-month inquiry, found that Fung's allegation was untrue and recommended a verbal warning. However, the House amended this and suspended Fung for nine months.
In 2001, DAP Batu Gajah MP Fong Po Kuan was suspended without allowance for six months after she criticised the House speaker for rejecting her motion to debate a scandal involving the Certificate of Legal Practice examinations.
Fong was not referred to the committee. Instead, a motion calling for her suspension was tabled and passed.
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