KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 — MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai today reminded Pakatan Harapan (PH) MPs that some of its representatives also staged a similar Parliament walkout like Umno and PAS over a similar issue in the past.
He specifically took a swipe at DAP’s Lim Kit Siang for claiming that the walkout over the swearing-in of Datuk Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof as Speaker of Dewan Rakyat was led by PAS.
“Do not forget that the same incident had occurred in the Parliament’s Lower House in 1999.
“At that time, DAP with PAS and other Opposition parties also left the Dewan. What is Lim Kit Siang’s explanation on this? If the Opposition’s lawmakers hold the same stand on the issue, there should be no issue of who is leading who,” he said in a statement.
“Lim Kit Siang should not twist words,” he added.
Liow said MCA is a party with principles and would protest against any “non-compliance” with the rule of law and democracy.
Ayer Hitam MP Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong is the only sole representative for the party in the Parliament.
A Parliament hansard, on December 20, 1999, cited that DAP’s Tan Seng Giaw had led the exodus of Opposition MPs, then known as Barisan Alternatif, over Barisan Nasional’s move to nominate Tun Mohd Zahir Ismail as the Speaker.
Like in the case of Mohamad Ariff, Opposition MPs then had pointed out that the appointment of Mohd Zahir had not fulfilled the 14 days’ notice period stipulated by the House’s Standing Orders.
