KOTA BARU: The suspension of Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Kamal's suspension from Parliament for six months stemmed from a motion made by the government, says Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul.
He said the Machang MP's suspension was in accordance with the rules of the permitted meeting.
"The issue of (Wan Ahmad Fayhsal's) suspension is a proposal by the government, so I am not the one who punished him, I just handled it.
"He (Machang MP) is not the first person subjected to such an action. In fact, six to seven MPs have been subjected to the same action before, including Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang," he said in a press conference in conjunction with a working visit to the Kelantan State Assembly in Kota Darulnaim Complex here on Sunday (Aug 11).
Johari said he was only administering the duties as stated in the law.
He said the decision cannot be withdrawn but if they are not satisfied, parties involved can submit a motion and there will be several processes to go through.
He was asked to comment on Wan Ahmad Fayhsal's statement in the Nenggiri by-election rally in Felda Perasu, Gua Musang on Saturday (Aug 10), where he said he could defend himself before the Parliamentary Rights and Freedoms Committee if called first before action against him was decided.
On July 17, Wan Ahmad Fayhsal was suspended from Parliament for six months and the motion to suspend him was from the House and Select Committee Meetings, with the support of 110 MPs while 63 disagreed through a split vote, while three did not vote and 46 were absent.
The motion was brought by the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reforms) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, after Wan Ahmad Fayhsal raised the issue of a poison pen letter supposedly about the real mastermind behind Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad's privatisation in the Dewan Rakyat. – Bernama
