KUALA LUMPUR, April 3 — A group of Perikatan Nasional (PN) MPs have walked out of the Dewan Rakyat in protest after Deputy Dewan Rakyat Speaker Alice Lau turned down their request to debate a motion.

Earlier this morning, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Johari Abdul had already denied the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) MP for Machang Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal’s request to debate a further Employees Provident Fund (EPF) withdrawal.

The motion submitted, according to Wan Ahmad Fayhsal, was in relation to a targeted EPF withdrawal for those in bad financial straits.

"The prime minister and the finance minister have already given their explanation. The Speaker’s decision is final.

"I cannot make a ruling now as the motion has been denied by the Speaker. If you are not satisfied with the decision, please submit another motion,” Lau said when several PN MPs, including Larut MP Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin and Arau MP Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, stood up to support their Machang colleague.

The walkout by the MPs took place just minutes before the Finance Bill 2023 was due for its Second Reading today.

"The PN MPs raised an issue, which was the motion brought by Machang to refer the finance minister to the rights and privileges committee of the House that was sent on March 31 in accordance to the Standing Order — it was rejected today.

"The Opposition raised this matter, why it was rejected when it was sent with details. It is a matter of public interest it should have been expedited but instead it was denied,” PN chief whip Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan told reporters after the walkout.

He said the motion was important as it was about the prime minister allegedly misleading the Dewan Rakyat and the public, since Section 51 of the EPF Act clearly prohibited using contributions as collateral.

"It was based on that, that the prime minister was referred to the rights and privileges committee.

"We definitely want an explanation, we want to tell the rakyat, why the federal government made a policy that is clashing with laws and is not legal against laws,” Takiyuddin addded.

He also said that there is a possibility that the PN will hold a roadshow to create awareness on the matter.