KUALA LUMPUR: Tempers flared in the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday (Nov 26) as Opposition MPs accused PKR of corruption, triggering a tense showdown with the Deputy Speaker.
The exchange started when Datuk Che Mohamad Zulkifly Jusoh (PN-Besut) criticised the government’s anti-corruption drive, claiming that graft was rampant among those surrounding the Prime Minister.
Datuk Awang Solahuddin Hashim (PN-Pendang) piled it on, asking if the Prime Minister’s vow to fight corruption was "hypocrisy or just rhetoric", given the alleged behaviour of people around him.
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The row escalated when Datuk Rosol Wahid (PN-Hulu Terengganu) asked Che Zulkifly if he agreed that PKR was corrupt.
Che Zulkifly said yes, accusing those who usually "make noise" of suddenly falling silent.
Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari (PH-Sungai Petani) immediately stood up, citing Standing Order 36(6), which bars MPs from making malicious imputations.
He warned that blanket allegations against a political party could not be tolerated and stressed that any claims should be tested in court.
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He also pointed out that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had accepted the resignation of his political secretary and allowed the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate independently.
Deputy Speaker Datuk Dr Ramli Mohd Nor sided with Taufiq, ordering both MPs to retract their remarks. Rosol and Che Zulkifly protested, arguing that the rule applied only to individual MPs, not political parties.
Awang Solahuddin cited past cases where parties had been criticised without breaking the rules.
Ramli was unmoved. He ruled that mentions of "PKR" in the chamber included its MPs and therefore fell under Standing Order 36(6).
"When you say PKR in this Dewan, it includes its members here," he said, warning that failure to comply could lead to a minimum five-day suspension.
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Che Zulkifly eventually withdrew his remarks in the House but attempted to clarify that some PKR members outside Parliament were allegedly involved in corruption.
This drew further objections from government MPs, who pressed him on whether or not the allegations had been proven in court.
The Deputy Speaker also reinforced the principle of sub judice, reminding MPs that matters currently before the courts at any level cannot be debated in Parliament.
After the fiery back-and-forth, the Dewan calmed, and proceedings resumed.
