6 theSun | TUESDAY MARCH 17 2009

news without borders

Giam Say Khoon and Hemananthani Sivanandam at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday

Bid to stop debate fails, The

opposition MPs walk out
OPPOSITION MPs yesterday tried
in vain to stop the Dewan Rakyat
Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia
from approving a motion to debate the
conduct of Puchong member Gobind
Singh Deo, with Lim Kit Siang (DAP-
Ipoh Timur) asking if the debate was
of public interest that it could be done
without a seven-day notice.
The motion was the first item listed
in the Order Paper for debate.
The Opposition ranks argued for
45 minutes but in the end, the Speaker
prevailed. They later walked out to
register their protest.
Earlier, R. Sivarasa (PKR-
Subang) argued that the notice on
the motion was given on the debate
day itself and it is not even a one-day
notice, therefore it should be post-
poned to today.
Pandikar clarified that all MPs
knew about the incident on Thursday
and the Order Paper for Monday had
been uploaded to the parliament
website (www.parlimen.gov.my) on
Friday.
He also explained that the public
interest is in ensuring the House is
seen as a world-class parliament in-
stead of a wet market where everyone
is shouting at each other.
Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar (PAS-
Tumpat) and M. Kulasegaran
(DAP-Ipoh Barat) said Gobind
should be referred to the Privileges
Committee because it related to the
rights of an MP.
However, Pandikar insisted that
his decision to allow the debate was
final under Standing Order 43.
“I understand the freedom of
speech and SO but all these would
not happen if the Puchong MP had
followed the law and behaved like
other MPs. I want to ensure that it
does not happen again, so I let you all
debate on your own attitudes,” he told
the MPs.
Karpal Singh (DAP-Bukit
Gelugor), who is Gobind’s
father, raised a point of order
under SO 27(3) that although he
agreed that one-day notice was
enough for the debate, the con-
sequences of the debate was too
serious and that Gobind should
be given more time to prepare
and understand the content of
the motion.
“This is not a reasonable
action as when an accused was
brought to the court for the first
time, the hearing does not begin
immediately,” he said, add-
ing that under Section 9 of the
Houses of Parliament (Privileges
& Powers) Act 1952, there is no
provision to say that it is con-
tempt of the House to accuse the
deputy prime minister.
Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham
(DAP-Bruas) argued that Gob-
ind should not be punished twice
as he had been suspended for a
day on Thursday and the second
punishment would be seen as a
“second jeopardy”.
When more Opposition MPs
wanted to raise a point of order 45
minutes after the motion was tabled,
Pandikar said he had considered all
sides and that his decision is final.
During the debate, Datuk Razali
Ibrahim (BN-Muar) said the choice
by Gobind not to repeat his statement
outside the House showed that he was
guilty as he had chosen to hide behind
the immunity of an MP.
Opposition leader Datuk Seri An-
war Ibrahim said the House should
try to understand why an MP would
utter such a harsh statement.
“Abusing the brute power of ma-
jority to punish an MP will only stop
the issue from being debated in the
House; but it cannot close the case as
the statement is a criminal accusation
which should not be made without
proof. We should let Pekan (Najib is
the MP for the constituency) defend
himself and clear his own name,” he
said.
Anwar also said Gobind should be
given a chance to explain himself as
he was the accused when he stood up
waiting for his chance to speak, how-
ever, Pandikar rejected the request.
Karpal also asked why Najib was
not present in the House: “Is he afraid
to come?”
Lim had also described the debate
as a kangaroo court in operation.
During his winding up, Nazri ex-
plained that Najib had chosen not to
attend the sitting yesterday because
he knew that he would be discussed
in the debate and that his presence
would affect the voting of the BN
backbenchers.
Inform,
guide
people
economy
has been
forecast to
undergo a
long crisis. It
through
difficult
is expected
that the times:
world
economy Nazrin
in 2009 will
contract
for the first IPOH: The Raja Muda of Perak Raja Dr Nazrin Shah
time since has urged the people to be informed of the present
economic downturn and given guidance on how to
the Second deal with it.
World War.”
He called for the sermons and events in mosques
to assume the role of helping to deliver the right
– Raja Dr
message to the people while the government ma-
Nazrin Shah
chinery should focus on efforts to relieve people’s
hardship.
“The economy has been forecast to undergo a
long crisis. It is expected that the world economy in
2009 will contract for the first time since the Second
World War,” he said at the 165th Conference of the
Perak Islamic Religious and Malay Custom Council
here yesterday.
Raja Nazrin said the public who had lost income
due to being laid off or received lower revenues due
to the sharp drop in commodity prices and business
slowdown should be given attention.
He hoped the government machinery would ease
work procedures to speed up action and reduce bu-
reaucracy while people’s basic necessities from the
aspects of food items, living places, security, health
and education should continue to be assured.
Raja Nazrin explained that the bad economic
situation happened worldwide which made people
go through a most stressful living environment and
Selangor many would reach a situation where they would be
to kick- forced to do whatever in order to survive.
Crimes such as snatch-theft, housebreaking, theft
start and robbery were expected to rise while smuggling,
projects including drugs, and the influx of immigrants could
for also increase, he said.
Raja Nazrin said in such situations, the police
economic should focus on efforts to put crime, public order
activities and national security under control.
pg 8 He reminded political parties, non-governmental
organisations and the public to sympathise and
understand the heavy burden that had to be shoul-
dered by the police.
“Extreme and excessive political activities will also
add to the police’s burden,” he said. – Bernama

Karpal to be GOBIND’S RECORD

charged today
KUALA LUMPUR: DAP chairman Kar-
pal Singh is expected to be charged at
the sessions court in Jalan Duta here
today, under the Sedition Act.
His son, Ram Karpal Singh, con-
firmed that his father had received a
notice to present himself at 9am, to
face charges under the act.
“We were informed that it was
under the Sedition Act 1948 but we
do not know which section ... nor-
mally, it is under Section 4,” he said.
– Bernama
Minister: No unemployment insurance scheme yet
HUMAN Resources Minister Datuk Dr S.
Subramaniam (BN-Segamat) (pix) said
the government has ruled
out the introduction of an
unemployment insurance
scheme.
“But we are in the midst
of conducting a study with
the help of the International
Labour Organisation on
ways for such a fund to be
feasible for the country.
“Once the study is
complete, only then we’ll
be able to determine what
system works best for the
country,” he said, adding that the study
was expected to be completed by June.
Subramaniam was replying to Khairy
FIRST-term MP Gobind Singh Deo has
chalked up quite a record in the House,
no thanks to his combative style.
» HE IS the first MP to be suspended for
a year without allowance and benefits.
» HE HAS been suspended from the
Dewan Rakyat thrice since he became
an MP last March:
• Two days last June after he ignored
the speaker’s order to sit down;
• Two days in November after he
criticised Deputy Speaker Datuk
Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar for
Jamaluddin (BN-Rembau)’s supplemen-
tary question on why the government
did not want to introduce
an unemployment insurance
scheme.
Earlier, Subramaniam said
the ministry had received
RM100 million from the first
RM7 billion stimulus package
to retrain 12,000 retrenched
workers under the “Train and
Place” programme.
He was replying to Dr
Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj
(PRK Sungai Siput MP) who
asked how retrenched work-
ers interested in vocational training of-
fered by the government would be able
to support their families while undergoing
defending a minister; and
• One day last Thursday after
he questioned Najib over his al-
leged involvement in the Altantuya
murder case .
» IN 2001, Fong Poh Kuan (DAP-
Batu Gajah) was suspended without
allowance for challenging the
speaker’s decision.
» GOBIND’S father, Karpal Singh (DAP-
Bukit Gelugor), was suspended from the
House for two years (1984-86) but he
still received his allowance.
the training.
Subramaniam said the training ses-
sions held for three to six months would
be subsidised by the government. Work-
ers undergoing the programme will also
receive an allowance of between RM500
and RM800 a month.
In addition, under the recently un-
veiled RM60 billion stimulus package, he
said the ministry has set aside additional
aid to ensure the programme was further
developed to reach those retrenched and
those who took pay cuts.
Subramaniam said the government
ensured that the trainings and courses
offered were relevant to the job market
and there was job availability that de-
manded the necessary skills offered by
the programme.
RM33m for Tekun
Rakan Niaga
A TOTAL of RM33.9 million had
been approved to fund 1,680 en-
terprises under the Tekun Rakan
Niaga programme since its launch
in 1998 until Jan 31, said Entrepre-
neur and Cooperative Development
Minister Datuk Noh Omar.
He said a total of RM25.4
million was approved to finance
1,321 enterprises last year while
RM1.1 million was approved for 67
enterprises in January.
Replying to a question from
Azan Ismail (PKR-Indera Mahkota),
Noh said the companies selected
to benefit under the programme
were involved in various industries
covering food and beverages,
beauty and health products, direct
selling, agriculture and agro-based
industry, information and commu-
nications technology (ICT), retailing
and services. – Bernama
Kong: No 50% paycut
for GLC heads
DEPUTY Finance Minister Datuk
Kong Cho Ha (BN-Lumut) said
chairmen and CEOs of govern-
ment-linked companies (GLCs)
will not take a 50% salary and
allowance cut as they are ap-
pointed based on their ability
to lead and meet targets and
goals. However, if they fail to do
so, they will be held responsible
by the company’s shareholders
and board of directors.
“It will be unfair to cut their
salary and allowance for some-
thing that has nothing to do
with their performance.”
Kong was replying to a ques-
tion by Datuk Ibrahim Ali (Pasir
Mas-Independent) who wanted
to know whether there was a
proposal to cut the salaries of
such top managers.
Ibrahim Yahaya
appointed RTM D-G
Former senior editor of Berita
Publishing Sdn Bhd Datuk Ibrahim
Yahaya, 48, has been appointed
director-general of the Broadcast-
ing Department (RTM) effective
yesterday.
Ibrahim replaces Datuk Abdul
Rahman Hamid who has been ad-
viser of digital broadcasting to the
information minister since Jan 2.
“He was appointed based on
his wide experience in the media
and broadcasting field,” an Infor-
mation ministry statement said.
Prior to the appointment,
Ibrahim was media adviser to the
information minister. He had also
served as TV3’s current affairs and
broadcasting manager and Berita
Harian news editor.