DAP will launch an international campaign to support the opposition party's embattled chairperson Karpal Singh, who is on the verge of being suspended from parliament tomorrow.

Party leader Lim Guan Eng said that DAP was outraged by the selective persecution of Karpal, who is member of parliament for Bukit Gelugor, and the practice of double standards in Parliament.

Karpal is facing a certain suspension if he refuses to apologise for misleading the Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives) by questioning the oath-taking of MPs who failed to raise their hands when being sworn in on May 17.

Speaking at a press conference at the party's headquarters in Petaling Jaya today, DAP newly minted secretary-general Lim described the action as "unfair, undemocratic and abuse of the brute parliamentary majority" by the ruling Barisan National coalition.

He was referring to a number of occasions where BN MPs have misled the House and yet were not similarly punished.

For example, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had misinformed the House on Anwar Ibrahim relating to a police report made by the ex-deputy premier on the failed steel giant Perwaja.

"The DAP maintains that there was nothing wrong in questioning the necessity of raising the hands in oath-taking in Dewan Rakyat when this is the normal practice in or outside the courts," he said.

Also present were Karpal, former DAP chairperson Lim Kit Siang, who is parliamentary opposition leader and Ipoh Timor MP, and DAP women's wing organising secretary Fong Po Kuan, who is Batu Gajah MP.

Fong was similarly suspended for six months in December 2001 for pursuing the debate of a scandal involving the Certificate of Legal Examinations.

The BN-controlled House had on Tuesday passed the motion to suspend Karpal after it debated and voted to accept the report submitted by the parliamentary Privileges Committee.

Motion tabled by Abdullah

The initial motion to refer Karpal to the Privileges Committee was tabled on behalf of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi after Karpal had refused to respond a 'show-cause' letter from the speaker, who claimed that he had misdirected the House.

Karpal had cited the wrong legislation when pointing out that a number of parliamentarians had not raised their right hand when being sworn in.

He conceded his mistake at a press conference later but also argued that the speaker had overruled his protest when the matter was first raised in the House.

Immediately after the motion on Karpal was passed, all 12 DAP MPs staged a walkout, shouting that the decision was "shameful".

Karpal has been given three days to tender an apology and then serve out a 10-day suspension from Parliament for misleading the House.

If he fails to do so, he is liable to a six-month suspension and will not be allowed to receive his MP's monthly allowances and enjoy other perks.

"To waste parliamentary time and take action to deny a MP from carrying out his duty is an abuse of the brute nine-tenth majority of BN, used to silence legitimate dissent and prevent the functioning of democracy," said Lim.

He said that the party's central working committee meeting last night has maintained that Karpal did not mislead the House.

"He has admitted to quoting the wrong Act, but the intention was to ensure that the validity of the oath-taking be upheld.

"To suspend a MP for six months without pay if he does not apologise and suspend him for 10 days even if Karpal does apologise, is a vindictive act of personal revenge that has no place in a parliamentary democracy," he added.

The 'support Karpal' committee will be headed by DAP national vice-chairperson and MP for Tanjung, Chow Kon Yew. The committee members are Fong, M Kulasegaran, Chong Eng, Tan Kok Wai, Anthony Loke, Ong Chee Keng, Teresa Kok and Ronnie Liu.

Suspension begins end of Friday

Meanwhile, Bernama reported that Karpal can attend tomorrow's 2005 budget session.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohamed Nazri Aziz said the Bukit Gelugor MP can do so as the suspension would only take affect three days after the motion was passed, which is end of tomorrow.

"Yes... he (Karpal) can come tomorrow and listen to tabling of the 2005 budget," he told reporters at the Parliament lobby today.

At the press conference at DAP headquarters this morning, Lim who assumed the party's secretary-general post last Saturday also announce the establishment of the disciplinary committee, to be headed by Chow.

Meanwhile, Lim said, five party members were appointed to fill up the 30-member CEC.

They area P Gunasekaran (Negri Sembilan deputy chairperson), J Apalasamy (Pahang chairperson), Goh Leong San (state assemblyman for Bandar Hilir, Malacca), Dr Boo Cheng Hau (Johor organising secretary) and Sivanesan Achalingan (Perak labour bureau chairperson).