Deputy Speaker raps MPs for trying to turn Dewan Rakyat into fish market

KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Speaker of Dewan Rakyat Datuk Ramli Mohd Noor today rapped several Members of Parliament (MPs) for trying to turn the Dewan Rakyat into a fish market during the debate on the 12th Malaysia Plan Mid-Term Review today.

This came after the MPs engaged in a war of words and used points of Standing Order over the matter raised by Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (PN-Kota Bharu) in his debate speech.

"Listen, if you all want to speak at the same time, no facts can be recorded and I won't be able to hear any explanation. So please, I'm asking for your cooperation to hold your horses...let's not turn this quorum into a fish market," Ramli chided.

Earlier, Takiyuddin questioned the use of three helicopters by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to attend an event in Sungai Besar, Selangor, which he claimed had caused the Public Works Department to spend tens of thousands of ringgit to prepare a helipad.

Takiyuddin's statement prompted Sim Tze Tzin (PH-Bayan Baru) to interject and ask for an explanation, while Mohammed Taufiq Johari (PH-Sungai Petani) used Standing Order 36 (6) which prohibits an MP from mounting improper motives to any other member.

"What was said by the Kota Bharu MP is a lie. When he said that the government spent tens of thousands of ringgit to prepare the helipad for the helicopter carrying the prime minister to land, we have to ask true or false.

"What the Kota Bharu MP is claiming was based on inputs from the netizens, the cybertroopers...we cannot make such baseless allegations.

"Don't just take the posts from Facebook or TikTok. We are in the august Parliament hall, we cannot just take the claim from the netizens as the truth. It's not," he said.

Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee (PN- Beluran) also stood up and used Standing Order 37 (2) on the power of the Speaker to disallow any MP from seeking clarification if he believes that the intention is simply to interrupt the member holding the floor.

"These are clear examples of using the points of order to interrupt the speech made by Kota Bharu MP," he said.

At this junction, Lee Chuan How (PH-Ipoh Timur) interjected and claimed that Kiandee's statement had improper motives.

Ramli then made a ruling that any MP dissatisfied with Takiyuddin's statement should submit a motion so that the matter could be evaluated by Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul.

-- BERNAMA