Opposition MP ordered out of Dewan over heated row on ‘talking to elephants in Tamil’

KUALA LUMPUR: An Opposition MP has been ordered to leave the Dewan Rakyat for 10 minutes after a heated row involving "talking to elephants in Tamil”.

RSN Rayer interjected Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim (BN-Baling), who was sharing his encounter with a wild elephant in his constituency and claimed that he managed to calm it down using the Tamil language.

Rayer then stood up to interject and asked Abdul Azeez not to repeat such remarks, as it was insulting the language.

"Claiming that he can speak with elephants using Tamil is something illogical," said Rayer.

Abdul Azeez then replied, "Why not?"

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun then asked the Baling MP to quickly finish his speech.

Abdul Azeez then insisted that he managed to feed the elephant by hand after speaking in Tamil and successfully relocated it to Terengganu on the fourth day.

Rayer then asked Abdul Azeez not to repeat his remarks.

The Speaker then asked both MPs to calm down.

However, Rayer refused to do so and asked the Speaker whether he would allow the Baling MP to insult the Tamil language.

"That is a stupid and rude remark," added Rayer.

To this, the Speaker said that Abdul Azeez was just merely sharing his personal experience.

"YB, you are like an anger factory. You can manufacture anger. Please stop," said the Speaker, explaining that Abdul Azeez was not insulting the Tamil language.

"I have decided that I will not ask him to withdraw," said the Speaker, as Rayer continued pressing Abdul Azeez to retract his remarks.

Rayer was then ordered to leave the Dewan for 10 minutes after he refused to sit down and the Speaker asked the sergeant-at-arms (bentara) to escort him out.

The Baling MP earlier shared that he had encountered a three-tonne elephant that was injured found at his constituency last month.

"The elephant came out because its legs were injured with a wound as big as a ‘car speaker’.

"When it came out, the elephant came to destroy and eat banana trees, sugarcane and wreak havoc near Kampung Bukit Hijau.

"I was with the elephant for four days and named it Awang Bukit Hijau.

"The elephant is so special sir. As far as I know, it understands three languages," said Abdul Azeez, namely Tamil, Thai and Myanmar language.

"This could be perhaps because during our ancestors' time, they had taken care of elephants.

"That's why they understand these languages," claimed Abdul Azeez.