Gobind suspended from Parliament for a year (Updated 4.25pm)

(Updated 4:25pm, 16 March 2009)

KUALA LUMPUR, 16 March 2009: Puchong Member of Parliament (MP) Gobind Singh Deo was suspended from the Dewan Rakyat for a year with immediate effect for accusing the deputy prime minister of murder and for contempt of the deputy speaker.

Gobind The motion to suspend the MP, which was tabled by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz today, was passed by a voice vote.

Nazri said that during the committee stage debate on the Supplementary Bill 2009 on 12 March, Gobind had issued remarks accusing Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is Pekan MP, of being involved in a murder case.

Gobind had also issued remarks in contempt of a deputy speaker after he was ordered to leave the Dewan Rakyat, he said.

“The remarks made were a very serious allegation and in breach of the rights and privileges as an MP and in contempt of the House,” he said.

The motion was tabled under Standing Order 27(3) of the Dewan Rakyat.

“Whereby it is agreed that the Honourable Member of Parliament for Puchong be suspended from his position as a Member of Parliament for 12 months from the date this motion is passed,” Nazri said.

Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia announced the passing of the motion at 1pm after all government backbenchers voted for it.

The opposition representatives had walked out of the House while Nazri was winding up the debate on the motion.

According to the motion, Gobind will not get all the allowances and benefits as an MP during the suspension period.

In his winding-up speech, Nazri said what Gobind did was not a crime and therefore there was no need to furnish proof for consideration before he was to be convicted of the offence.

“Therefore, if an action has been committed and clearly the action shows lack of manners against the deputy prime minister, it is sufficient for us to take action against him.

“But if the Puchong member of Parliament admits he is crazy, it would be different. But I believe when he made the remarks, he was not crazy and he knew what he did was wrong,” he said.

He also explained that Najib was not in the Dewan Rakyat today because he did not want to be seen to be influencing the lawmakers regarding the motion.

Earlier, several opposition members raised various provisions of the Standing Orders to object to the speaker’s decision in allowing the motion to be tabled.

Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur) sought explanations from Pandikar Amin on the public interest which allowed the motion to be tabled without the seven-day notice.

Datuk Kamaruddin Jaafar (PAS-Tumpat) meanwhile wanted the matter to be referred to the Rights and Privileges Committee and Karpal Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor) questioned why Gobind was not given time to defend himself.

Others who also stood up were M Kulasegaran (DAP-Ipoh Barat), Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham (DAP-Beruas), Nga Kor Ming (DAP-Taiping) and R Sivarasa (PKR-Subang).

Pandikar Amin said: “I have read Standing Orders 27(3), 80(1), and 44(8) which allow this motion to be debated in the House.

“It is my interpretation and I would like to remind all that the speaker’s decision under Order 43 should be accepted. It has something to do with the behaviour and ramblings by members of the House under the protection of the House and it did not happen outside. Everyone knows these things happen,” he said.

He also said that he had read the Hansard account of what happened that day and found that Gobind had committed offences under Standing Order 36(6) for imputing improper motives to another member, Order 36(4) for using offensive language and Order 36(9) for mentioning the conduct and character of a member in another capacity.

He also committed offences under Order 36(2) for mentioning a matter which is sub judice, Order 36(10)(b) and (c) for using seditious words and words likely to promote feelings of ill-will against the government and between different communities. — Bernama

See also: Gobind’s one-year suspension fair, says Nazri