Opposition stages walkout after two MPs were ejected over sensitive remark

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 6 — Opposition lawmakers briefly walked out of the Dewan Rakyat today in solidarity with two of their MPs who were ejected from the August house earlier.

PAS Pengkalan Chepa MP Datuk Ahmad Marzuk Shaary was ejected from the Dewan Rakyat after he refused to adhere to Deputy Speaker Alice Lau’s ruling.

Lau had ordered for Ahmad Marzuk to leave the lower House after his remark towards Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming raised questions of malicious intent.

"When I was asked to withdraw, I didn't want to because I mentioned the obvious facts. This has angered Muslims in Malaysia because it misrepresents the struggle of Palestine.

"When I asked the religious minister, what was his role as minister of religion to address religious misunderstandings, including misunderstanding of the Palestine struggle among the ministers themselves.

"I was alleged to have committed an evil presumption and was asked to withdraw, I didn't even know a word that I thought was evil because I referenced the minister's post, which is still up on his account,” he said in a press conference outside of the Dewan Rakyat, here.

Meanwhile, Parit Buntar MP Mohd Misbahul Munir Masduki blamed government backbencher Hulu Langat MP Mohd Sany Hamzah for the reason for his dismissal from the Dewan Rakyat.

"I'm today 'in history', because I was sent out by the speaker when actually, the one who interrupted my speech was Hulu Langat and a few other government MPs.

"I was talking and Hulu Langat kept rising up like a non-sane person, interrupting my speech, and interrupting without my permission. He should have asked for my permission, but he was talking like a madman,” he said.

Both Mohd Misbahul and Mohd Sany were sent out by Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul after a shouting match between the two.

Arau MP Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said the walkout will end until the Ministry of Finance’s (MOF) turn to wind up the debate.

"When it’s MOF’s turn, we will go back in,” he said.

Shahidan took a dig at his former political party Umno, saying that the party is not championing the Palestinian issue.

"It’s like only us (oppositions) who’s voicing out on this issue. Where is Umno?” he asked.