BN chastises Nik Nazmi for allowing debate of bible issue

Sulaiman Abdul Razak (BN-Permatang) described Nik Nazmi as having double standards when he rejected BN previously for bringing up the Bible issue.

He said the proposal was rejected on the grounds that it was still a court case but allowed it when the state assemblymen from Pakatan Rakyat debated it, showing a conflict with Assembly regulations. "We tried to debate the issue before but it was rejected on the grounds that it was still being investigated by the courts and could not be tabled for debate.

"However, allowing their (Pakatan Rakyat) state assemblymen to debate the issue shows a conflict with the standing orders and this is most disappointing," he told reporters at the Assembly lobby here on Thursday. Sulaiman said Nik Nazmi's excuse for allowing the issue to be debated was that it was only a debate and not a motion.

Last Monday, three of the four motions suggested by the BN state assemblymen for debate were rejected by the Speaker. Among the motions that were rejected were the issue of the Selangor State Development Corporation, including the word Allah in connection with the seizure of Bibles in Bahasa Melayu by the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais) from the Malaysian Bible Society in Damansara last January 2.

Earlier during the debate on the opening address by the Sultan of Selangor, R. Rajiv (DAP-Bukit Gasing) urged the state government to return the seized Bibles.

However, Sulaiman who interjected, reminded that the matter was still in court and could not be debated according to the regulations of the assembly but this was rejected by Nik Nazmi, who allowed the debate to continue.

Besides Rajiv, the issue was also debated by Yeo Bee Yin (DAP-Damansara Utama) and Lau Weng San (DAP-Kampung Tunku).

Meanwhile, the decision by the Selangor government to increase the assessment rate and business licence drastically from this year was seen as a move that would burden the people of Selangor.

Datuk Johan Abdul Aziz (BN-Semenyih) said the action would not only burden the traders but would also increase the cost of living for the people in Selangor when these traders increased the price of their goods and services. "For instance, the increase in rates would cause the traders to pay as much as RM1,120 to renew their licences compared to RM400 last year. "Not only in Shah Alam but the Klang City Council has also increased the rates drastically, causing traders, such as used car dealers, to pay a licence tax of RM1,480 which is a 282 percent increase, compared to just RM390 last year, " he said when debating on the Sultan of Selangor's speech.

In addition, the increased assessment rate also caused some processed food entrepreneurs to pay an assessment rate of as high as RM6,000. "As a result of the increase, the business is affected and he has no choice but to increase the price of his products which in the end will burden the consumers," he said.