Johari: ‘The statement is not only a serious allegation but also violates the rights of MPs and dishonoured the dignity of this House.’ — Bernama
Pendang MP Datuk Awang Solahuddin Hashim has been suspended for 10 days for insulting Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul and the Parliament.
Johari ordered Awang, a Perikatan Nasional lawmaker, to leave the House immediately after he failed to apologise over insults made on social media platform TikTok despite repeated calls for him to do so.
“Although I had written a letter to you on July 22 to retract the statement and apologise, till this day YB (Yang Berhormat) has not done anything.
“I had even asked Dewan Rakyat’s secretary to meet you and the chief whip to speak to you. Yet, YB had done nothing about it.
“In light of YB’s failure to apologise to me as Speaker, I order YB to leave the House and be suspended for 10 days,” he said.
According to Johari, Awang had uploaded a TikTok video on July 18 where he disparaged the Speaker as being a tyrant in the august House.
“The statement is not only a serious allegation but also violates the rights of MPs and dishonoured the dignity of this House,” he said.
A shouting match ensued between several backbenchers and opposition MPs soon after Johari’s ruling.
Opposition chief whip Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (PN-Kota Bharu) had argued that Johari should not judge the matter due to conflict of interest, pointing out that the statement made by Awang was done outside of Parliament.
However, Johari pointed out that former Padang Serai MP N. Surendran was handed a six-month suspension in 2013 for insulting the Speaker and the Parliament.
Order was restored after Johari stood firm on his decision despite several opposition MPs arguing against it.
