KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 27 — Nurul Izzah Anwar said today she will seek permission next week to explain herself to Parliament before the motion on her controversial meeting with Sulu “princess” Jacel Kiram is tabled.
Speaking to reporters after being questioned at Bukit Aman this afternoon, the PKR vice-president said she will formally request for an opportunity to defend herself against allegations linking her to the 2013 Sabah invasion by the Kiram family.
“I will push for my opportunity to speak and defend myself even though there has never been a precedent where an MP is hauled up before the rights and privilege committee for something that happened outside Parliament,” the Lembah Pantai MP said.
“I will formally request to address the Dewan Rakyat… let the Dewan Rakyat, let everyone hear (me out).”
Her lawyer and fellow party member R. Sivarasa agreed with Nurul Izzah that the rights and privileges committee’s duty is to look at misconduct inside the Parliament chamber and not actions committed outside its walls.
Earlier, Nurul Izzah was questioned at the police headquarters for over two hours on the photographs of her and Jacel during a recent meeting in the Philippines.
According to Sivarasa, the police said the session was merely an inquiry and that no formal investigation has been launched just yet.
When asked under which law Nurul Izzah would be investigated, the Subang MP said the police have yet to decide.
On Wednesday, the parliamentary order paper listed a motion to refer Nurul Izzah to Parliament’s rights and privileges committee on December 2 over the recent photos of her with Jacel.
It was later clarified, however, that the motion will only be tabled on December 3 after Parliament has concluded all business related to Budget 2016.
Jacel is the daughter of Jamalul Kiram III, the self-styled Sulu “sultan” who ordered the invasion of Lahad Datu in Sabah in 2013.
