.jpg "Lawyer RSN Rayer speaks to members of the press after Penang state executive councillor Lim Hock Seng was called up for questioning by the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission on February 13, 2018. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Sayuti Zainudin")
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 6 — Dewan Rakyat was thrown into a heated exchange today, following the use of the insult “kepala bapak”, or “your father’s head” by a government lawmaker.
During the question-and-answer session at Parliament, DAP’s Jelutong MP RSN Rayer began asking if foreign direct investment in Malaysia had been affected by the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal since it appeared that investors would lose confidence in the country’s legal system.
However Larut MP Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin interjected, saying the issue of 1MDB had nothing to do with foreign investment, prompting Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof to prompt Rayer to summarise his question.
In response, Rayer uttered the “kepala bapak” insult at Hamzah, who then demanded the former to withdraw his statement.
Despite warnings from Ariff, Rayer merely told Hamzah not to disturb him, and repeated the insults again.
The second use of the words caused the Speaker to demand Rayer withdraw his remark, or else leave the hall.
Lipis MP Datuk Abdul Rahman Mohamad also began demanding Rayer withdraw his remark, in support of Hamzah.
Despite Rayer’s best efforts to highlight his question, Hamzah’s voice drowned out his as the latter waved the Standing Order, claiming that Rayer’s remarks violated Order 36(4) on the use of offensive language in Parliament.
“This is his problem. If he says everything is well-deserved then I would like to inform him that I have held this seat for three terms,
“Even though many of the MPs on the other side have scolded the government, none of them used the words Jelutong has used,” he said.
Ariff, who had called for order in the Dewan Rakyat several times, insisted both MPs speak civilly or sit down as time was running out for the question-and-answer period.
He then declared the “debate” at an end, and told Rayer to clearly state his question so that it could be answered by Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Ong Kian Ming.
Ong later that said some RM11.8 billion in equity outflow left Malaysia last year, as the country sees a decline in foreign direct investment in recent times amid the trade war between the US and China.
In recent years, Rayer has been twice acquitted of and discharged after uttering the insulting “celaka Umno” phrase.
