KUALA LUMPUR, July 15 — Pendang member of Parliament Datuk Awang Hashim, from Perikatan Nasional, was ejected and suspended from the Dewan Rakyat for three days, starting today following his remark labelling RSN Rayer (PH-Jelutong) as “anti-Islam”.
Deputy Speaker Datuk Ramli Md Nor issued the order after Awang refused to retract his comment against Rayer.
Heated arguments erupted when Rayer stood up while Deputy Minister M. Kulasegaran was tabling the Evidence (Amendment) Bill 2024 for its second reading.
Rayer claimed that some opposition MPs had insulted Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul by referring to him as a “postman” during last Thursday’s session.
Rayer also questioned the actions of several MPs from the Opposition bloc, including Awang, who referred to six former Bersatu MPs that pledged support to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as “enam jahanam”.
Awang interjected, describing Rayer as anti-Islam, which prompted Rayer to express his displeasure and request that Awang withdraw the remark.
“I urge him to retract his statement. That’s not right. I was referring to how he (Awang) called the six (former Bersatu MPs) ‘jahanam.’ His statement about me being anti-Islam is incorrect and very serious,” said Rayer.
In response, Ramli asked Awang to retract his statement.
“We need to create harmony in this dewan (Dewan Rakyat). Don’t accuse one another and turn this into a public spectacle. Is this what we want to show the community? So, YB (Awang), please retract that statement,” he said.
Despite being warned three times to withdraw his statement, Awang refused, prompting Ramli to order him out of the Dewan Rakyat. — Bernama
