PARLIAMENTARY proceedings today got off to a fiery start after opposition MPs cried foul over the Dewan Rakyat speaker’s rejection of their motions to debate matters of public interest and national sovereignty.
As the orders of the day were being voted on, Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis interjected to lambast Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun after he rejected her motion to debate the multibillion ringgit “award” to the alleged descendants of the Sulu sultanate.
“Mr Speaker, this is the third time you have rejected my motion to this house about the Sulu’s claims,” Isnaraissah, Warisan’s Kota Belud MP, told the Dewan Rakyat this morning.
“I am quite perplexed and want to ask the federal Government – to what extent do you want this claim restored and debated in this house? This is a question of national sovereignty, not something trivial.
“Is it because it relates to Sabah that you don’t care, or that Sulu is only making claims from Sabah and not the other (Malaysian) states?” she asked.
Isnaraissah also questioned why the Government only sent a stay of execution against a French court’s RM62.59 bil “award” at the eleventh hour, when the final arbitration award was rendered on February 28.
As she called for MPs in the house to stand with her and collectively urge for the motion to be approved and debated in the house, Azhar, however, muted her microphone, and called for the next MP to speak.
Incidentally, it was Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub’s turn to speak, and he too had one of his motions – to debate the recently reported seizure of two Petronas subsidiaries in Azerbaijan – rejected, for being sub judice.
However, the Amanah MP for Pulai questioned the logic in this, as he showed the front page story of today’s Utusan Malaysia newspaper, which had a picture of the Dewan Negara Speaker Tan Sri Rais Yatim, and the title, “Sulu: Don’t pay”.
“I hope there will be one consistency on this, and that the motion can be discussed,” he said, adding: “Whether it’s sub judice or not, that’s up to the courts later.
“We want an explanation, a clarification as to why this happened, and the rakyat has to hear the minister answering this in Parliament. This is an important issue involving the country’s dignity that we need to defend.”
Conflict of interest
At this point, Ramkarpal Singh interjected and reminded Azhar that the Petronas matter involved actions taken by the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC), which is led by his brother, Tan Sri Idrus Harun.
“If your older brother will be criticised over this matter, which will surely take place, you are in a conflict of interest,” the Bukit Gelugor MP from DAP said. “You cannot decide this motion, with the greatest of respect.”
PKR’s Sungai Buloh MP R Sivarasa also weighed in, pointing out that the sub judice argument holds no water for cases that are tried outside of Malaysia – like the Sulu case, which was heard in Spain initially and then France.
After this, Azhar responded to the opposition MPs, noting that during a previous Dewan Rakyat meeting, a motion was allowed to debate the Petronas assets issue after a briefing by Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.
“So, everyone knows what actually happened about the (issue of) Petronas assets (being seized) in Azerbaijan,” he said, to which Isnaraissah yelled, “There was not enough time”.
“And about sub judice, I received legal advice that the matter is sub judice because there are one or two proceedings that are still ongoing,” he added. “The Standing Orders (of the Dewan Rakyat) are very clear on this, and I have to go by them.”
As for the supposed conflict of interest, Azhar said he “doesn’t even speak to his brother about work” or get involved with matters related to him that are brought to Parliament.
“And if whatever that happens in this house is related to him, I will usually excuse myself (from chairing the meeting),” he added and proceeded with the next order of the day amid brickbats from opposition MPs.
Isnaraissah then interrupted the second reading of the National Forestry (Amendment) Bill 2022 and said the Sulu issue was far more important than “talking about forests”.
As Isnaraissah and other opposition MPs continued interrupting Energy and Natural Resources Minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan from reading out the Bill, Azhar’s deputy, Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon, requested that she sit down or leave the house.
After she refused to do so, Rashid suspended her from the house for two days and called on the house’s bailiffs to escort her out.
Following a long standoff amid shouts of tarik balik, “point of order” and “Standing Order”, Isnaraissah eventually left the house on her own accord, and spoke to the media. – July 18, 2022
