KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 10 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad should first apologise for abolishing the Parliamentary Services Act 1963 before condemning the administration of the current House, Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia said today.

He claimed Opposition leaders such as PKR’s Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and DAP’s Lim Kit Siang should first question the former prime minister for his action before aligning themselves with Dr Mahathir.

"If I was Gelang Patah or Permatang Pauh, I would have asked Tun Mahathir to apologise first,” Pandikar told reporters, referring to Lim and Dr Wan Azizah respectively.

"When he was prime minister in 1992, the Parliamentary Services Act which is important in any Parliament in the world to separate the executive, judiciary and Parliament was abolished. Why?

"Why is that not mentioned if they want to uphold the democracy of Parliament? They should raise that,” he added.

The Sabahan lawmaker also insisted that the Parliament is independent, while the Dewan Rakyat today is allegedly more open compared to during Dr Mahathir’s time.

"It is not true that the Parliament now compared to before when Tun Mahathir was prime minister is not democratic. I deny that wholeheartedly,” Pandikar said.

Commenting on his declaration that any question in Parliament on the US Department of Justice’s civil suit on 1Malaysia Development Berhad is sub judice, Pandikar claimed it is not a convention for Speakers in other countries to explain the reason behind their rulings.

"Some say my decision is illogical but when I make a Speaker’s ruling, there is no need for the Speaker to make a reasoning. It is like that in every other country.

"But here when I make a reasoning, every reason I make is not accepted and it is turned politically,” he said.

Dr Mahathir had joined a meeting with Opposition lawmakers in Parliament on Tuesday to condemn the recent rulings made by Pandikar.

The group which also included former ministers Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal also flayed Pandikar for claiming that they had breached their ministerial oaths by revealing Cabinet meeting details while debating Budget 2017.