KUALA LUMPUR, March 11 — DAP MP Lim Lip Eng today accused Utusan Malaysia of being selective in reporting on MPs who were not dressed in ceremonial wear during the opening of the second session of the 14th Parliament here.
In a Facebook post, the Kepong MP questioned as to why only he, Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai and Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku’s (STAR) Keningau MP Datuk Jeffrey Gapari Kitingan were highlighted in the report, while PAS president and Marang MP Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, Umno’s Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, and the party’s Lenggong MP Datuk Seri Shamsul Anuar Nasarah alongside many others were not mentioned.
“It’s not like I never wore the ceremonial attire. The ones listed by Utusan Online — Tan Kok Wai, Lim Lip Eng, Jeffrey Kitingan.
“The one not listed by Utusan — Hadi Awang, Tengku Razaleigh, Shamsul Annuar. What is Utusan’s intention?” Lim questioned.
The ceremonial attire is usually observed during the opening of Parliament annually.
A Parliament official informed Malay Mail that the attire is mandatory, adding that the National Palace had last year also written an official letter to Parliament, reminding lawmakers to dress appropriately for ceremonial events.
The official who spoke on condition of anonymity, however, lamented that the order was still not observed by some lawmakers from both sides of the political divide.
