KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 — A motion will soon be tabled in Parliament by DAP MP RSN Rayer to challenge Parliament Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun’s ruling to not punish Bintulu MP Datuk Tiong King Sing for his statements deemed as insulting to the Health Ministry, its director-general and frontliners battling Covid-19.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng stated his party’s intention to file the motion against Azhar after party colleague and Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng was booted out of the Dewan Rakyat for insisting the Speaker make a ruling against Tiong.

“A motion will be tabled by YB Jelutong (Rayer) on the Speaker’s decision at that time not to instruct YB Bintulu (Tiong) to retract his statements, interjections, and insults towards Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham (Abdullah),” Guan Eng said referring to the Health Ministry’s director-general.

“But at the same time, we hope the Speaker will admit that it was a mistake on his part, and the ruling he made must be reviewed,” Lim said during a press conference in Parliament that was broadcasted “live” on the party’s Facebook page.

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The Bagan MP then condemned Azhar for initially instructing police officers to escort Lip Eng out of Parliament.

“Efforts to instruct police is something that should not happen because it challenges the superiority of Parliament,” he said.

Guan Eng added that he hoped the government would step up and distance itself from Tiong’s comments, considering how the Bintulu MP holds the position of the prime minister’s special envoy to China, a post equivalent in rank to that of a federal minister.

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Meanwhile, the Kepong MP said it was unbecoming of Tiong as a federal lawmaker to make such comments against the frontliners, pointing out how Malaysia was once regarded as one of the top five nations that successfully curbed the spread of the disease.  

“As an MP, we should be giving words of encouragement to appreciate all the Health Ministry’s officials, and not like the Bintulu MP who belittled, insulted, and humiliated not only Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham but all the Health Ministry’s frontliners as well.

“That is why I am angered and cannot accept the decision by the deputy Speaker and Speaker concerning the comments made by Bintulu MP,” he said during the broadcast.

This latest turn of events came after Lip Eng was booted out of Parliament earlier today by Azhar after he called the latter’s ruling to allow Tiong’s comments to slide “stupid”, angering the Speaker who immediately called for the Kepong MP to retract his comments.

A shouting match then ensued, before Azhar booted the Kepong MP out of the hall and barred him for five days.

As two sergeant-of-arms stood by Lip Eng who remained inside despite being asked to leave, Azhar then requested the Dewan Rakyat secretary to instruct the police to assist with escorting the Kepong MP out of the chambers before the DAP man left on his own accord.

Tiong yesterday, while debating the Budget 2021 Bill, claimed that Dr Noor Hisham hardly visited his constituency during the Covid-19 period. He then wondered aloud if the latter feared death and if that was the reason for his absence.

The comments triggered DAP's Rayer, who came to the defence of Dr Noor Hisham, resulting in the former being booted from the Dewan Rakyat after refusing to take his seat as ordered by Deputy Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.

In response, Dr Noor Hisham remarked that as a Muslim, he sees death as inevitable and one which does not discriminate, then adding how he visited Sabah hospitals back in August to check on the state’s preparation for an election amid the pandemic.