Deputy Speaker says found no malice in Pengkalan Chepa MP’s speech which labelled fellow lawmaker 'kafir'

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 — Deputy Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Ramli Mohd Noor today declared there was no element of malicious intent in a speech yesterday by a PAS MP which labelled a fellow lawmaker as “kafir” or “infidel”.

He said the remarks by Datuk Ahmad Marzuk Shaary during the Supply Bill 2024 debate were “academic” and did not violate Standing Order 36(6) — which handles “imputing improper motives” to other MPs.

“Based on the video recording [of the Parliament proceeding yesterday] of DAP Ipoh Timur MP [Howard Lee] the details and elements [of malicious intent] did not exist.

“I have adopted that throughout Pengkalan Chepa MP’s speech, it did not reach the level of malicious intent, considering that the related issue has already happened and circulated in the mass media outside the Dewan Rakyat.”

Yesterday, the Dewan Rakyat erupted into chaos following a “DAP kafir” remark uttered by the Pengkalan Chepa MP.

It later devolved into Ahmad Marzuk discussing whether non-Muslim MPs can be categorised as

“Kafir dhimmi” refers to peaceful infidels who should receive protection in an Islamic state, while “kafir harbi” are belligerent infidels who are regarded as enemies of Islam.

The remark stemmed from initial mentions of the issue of the alleged misinterpretation of a Quranic verse made by the Ipoh Timur MP last month.

It then led to Lee raising Standing Order 36(6), citing it as an unfair assumption by Pengkalan Chepa.

Ramli in his ruling today stressed that throughout Lee’s explanation, there were no details that proved that in parts or phrase of Pengkalan Chepa MP’s speech there was malicious intent, although he was given the opportunity to speak.

“It is not fair for me to make a decision that there was malicious content just based on my own thoughts. And there was no explanation or phrase which arrived at malicious intent as raised by the MP who pointed out Standing Order 36(6).

“Those who want to raise 36(6) in the future, it is compulsory for the MP to explain in which part or phrase denotes malicious intent,” Ramli said.