KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition chief whip Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan is questioning the legality of suspending him from Parliament for six months, saying it was "double jeopardy" and an attempt to silence scrutiny of government standard operating procedures.
The Kota Bharu MP said the motion, which Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail is expected to table, overlaps with his earlier referral to the Parliamentary Rights and Privileges Committee by Suhaizan Kayat (PH-Pulai), a process which has yet to conclude.
"Instead, the Speaker sent a letter to Pulai and the Home Minister, asking them to respond to my explanation. I received a copy of the letter," Takiyuddin said at a press conference in the Parliament building on Wednesday (Dec 3).
Under Standing Order 36(12), MPs can be referred to the Rights and Privileges Committee, which comprises representatives from both the government and Opposition.
Takiyuddin said the motion to suspend him for six months under Standing Order 27(3) was "sudden".
"Why was I not brought before the committee? In law, this is called 'double jeopardy' – two proceedings on one issue against the same person," he said.
The motion is linked to Takiyuddin's remarks during the Supply Bill 2026 debate on Oct 22, when he allegedly linked the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) to the 1985 Memali incident. Saifuddin said the comments were meant to stoke fear and cast MMEA officers in a negative light.
Takiyuddin claimed he had complied with all conditions set by the Speaker after Suhaizan's complaint and submitted a six-page written explanation within the required timeframe.
"Once my explanation was received, the next step should have been for the Speaker to decide if there was a prima facie case before referring it to the committee," he said.
The Memali incident occurred in November 1985 in Kampung Memali, Baling, Kedah, when police tried to arrest religious teacher Ustaz Ibrahim Mahmud, also known as Ibrahim Libya, under the now-repealed Internal Security Act 1960. Resistance from villagers led to the deaths of 14 villagers and four policemen.
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