IMPROMPTU MOVE AGAINST PARLIMENTARY ETIQUETTE

As the ultimate legislative body in Malaysia, Parliament is responsible for passing, amending and repealing acts of law. There are rules about what can and cannot be said and done. Members of Parliament are not free to talk on anything that breaches the Act and neither act against the Standing Orders. They must act upon things as they are.

Apparently, MP N. Gobalakrishnan (PKR - Padang Serai) walk up to the Speaker to explain a Tamil word to the latter by whispering to him during a shouting match who took place during Question Time in Dewan was an unparliamentary act. It was rude and against parliamentary etiquette. Such unparliamentary behavior exhibited was disgraceful and uncalled for. It had never happened in the house before.

The disrespect and irreverence for decency in parliament is not a laughing matter as such political act sent out a terrible message to the public, and was absolutely opportunistic and disgraceful. Those who cross the line of acceptability should rightly be condemned in the highest degree. MPs from all sides should contribute sensibly and sensitively to this important subject.

I’m disappointed that the Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia did not take a stronger stand on this. Information Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek had said before, "Laws must be used" against those who break the law.” Keeping this in mind, then, the most serious question arises: Should the Parliament use the laws against those who break the law?

N. Gobalakrishnan created “havoc” in the Dewan Rakyat Tuesday when he walked up to the Speaker to explain a Tamil word to the latter by whispering to him during a shouting match which took place during Question Time. He made the impromptu move when Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia told the House that he could not understand the meaning of a Tamil word and would have to ask someone outside before making a ruling.

Gobalakrisnan and M. Kulasegaran (DAP - Ipoh Barat) had asked Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Idris Haron to retract a Tamil word he said, where the two claimed it was unparliamentary. This prompted Gobalakrishan to leave his seat and walked to Pandikar Amin amidst shouts of: “Ooi, what are you trying to do? Biadap. Biadap” while Opposition Leader Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was waving at Gobalakrishnan in an attempt to stop him.

Datuk Bung Moktar Radin (BN - Kinabatangan) then stood up to cite the Standing Orders to refer Gobalakrishnan to committee of privileges for being rude and not in accordance with the Standing Order. Azmin then stood up to ask Gobalakrishnan to apologize to the house and ensure it that such an incident would not happen again.

“I apologise for my act for not realizing it. Thank you,” he said.

At the lobby, Gobalakrishnan maintained that he heard Idris saying a foul word but Idris said he meant "sit down" in Tamil, which he learned from an Indian friend. Both words were close in their pronunciation.