'Step out of line and it's six months' suspension', Speaker warns MPs

'Step out of line and it's six months' suspension', Speaker warns MPs

KUALA LUMPUR: “Step out of line and I will suspend you for six months,” Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul warned MPs following a shouting match, which erupted on the third day of Parliament.

The warning came after Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan (PN-Tasek Gelugor) repeated the unfounded allegations against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim of abusing his powers.

Johari said this was a malicious accusation and ordered Wan Saiful to retract his statement.

“What you said was very unkind by accusing someone as being corrupt without any proof. I am warning you now, to retract this,” he said, with Wan Saiful promptly doing so.

Johari described Wan Saiful’s claims as hearsay, as there was no proof to back the allegations.

Earlier, Wan Saiful had claimed that he was approached by several people enticing him with offers to pledge support for Anwar while implying that the latter was corrupted.

This resulted in a shouting match among MPs from both sides of the House.

Johari warned MPs, irrespective of their political affiliations, that he would impose the full extent of his powers if they failed to listen to his instructions.

“I have clear rules. I can suspend you for six months. This time around, I will use it,” he told MPs during debates on the motion of thanks on the Royal Address on Wednesday (Feb 28).

Wan Saiful then said he was “disappointed” in Johari’s decision, but would adhere.

Johari responded by saying regardless of whether Wan Saiful was disappointed or not, Parliament had to go on.

“If we want to speak about hearsay, I can speak on things that happened 30 years ago. Let us move forward.

“Lodge a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission or the police for investigations.

“If you talk about it here, nobody can do anything, You can keep on going but nobody can verify this,” he said.

Yesterday, Johari initially suspended Datuk Awang Hashim (PN-Pendang) for four days following a commotion in the House.

However, the suspension was revoked when Awang stood up to apologise to Johari, after being told to do so by Opposition chief Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin.