BN lawmakers walk out again as Sivarraajh’s return triggers fresh row

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 10 — Barisan Nasional (BN) parliamentarians abandoned Parliament again today after Deputy Speaker Datuk Rashid Hasnon ordered two among them to leave after an argument broke out over Datuk Sivarraajh Chandran’s status as a federal lawmaker.

The incident happened when the disputed Cameron Highlands MP entered the hall to loud approval from his BN peers.

The Speaker had sent Sivarraajh out last week after RSN Rayer (PH - Jelutong) highlighted the Election Court’s decision to annul the Cameron Highlands result from the general election due to vote buying.

Datuk C. Sivarraajh speaks to reporters in Parliament December 10, 2018. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

When Sivarraajh entered today, Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman (BN - Pasir Salak) and Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin (BN - Kinabatangan) demanded Rayer apologise for causing the expulsion last week.

Rashid told the BN lawmakers to let the matter go but Bung insisted that Rayer apologise and withdraw his remarks from last Wednesday, interrupting Sivarraajh who was then thanking his fellow lawmakers and the Speaker for allowing his re-entry.

Tajuddin then joined Bung to demand the apology and said the sitting must not continue until Rayer offered one.

This triggered a shouting match between the two and Pakatan Harapan (PH) lawmakers such as Wong Hon Wai (Bukit Bendera) and Cha Kee Chin (Rasah).

Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman and Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan sit on the floor in Parliament December 10, 2018, after walking out of Dewan Rakyat in a show of protest. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

Rayer then insisted he was correct to alert the Speaker about Sivarraajh’s disputed status, which triggered nearly 10 minutes of shouting from BN lawmakers after Rashid turned their microphones off.

Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim (BN - Arau) tried to mediate by saying both parties should apologise but Rayer rejected this.

This led Shahidan to say that Sivarraajh should be compensated for the two days he was denied entry into the Dewan, which led to further arguments.

The deputy Speaker then ordered Tajuddin and Bung Mokhtar out of the hall. They were swiftly followed by all BN MPs, with Shahidan the last to leave.

Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman and Datuk Bung Moktar Radin walk out of Dewan Rakyat in a show of protest in Parliament December 10, 2018. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

Outside the Dewan Rakyat, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob (BN - Bera) said the decision to send out Tajuddin and Bung was biased.

“Even though [Sivarraajh] was allowed to enter the Dewan now, he was unable to do so for two days when the Speaker made his initial ruling.

“Now that the Speaker has reversed his decision, all we asked was for [Rayer] to apologise and retract his statement which caused the barring in the first place,” he said in Parliament lobby after the walkout.