KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 — Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng was ejected from the Dewan Rakyat today for interrupting Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun while the latter was explaining a ruling.

Lim was ordered to leave the lower House of Parliament after describing Deputy Speaker Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said’s ruling yesterday on another lawmaker as “stupid”.

“But that is stupid ruling,” Lim said in Malay as he cut in while Azhar was explaining that he did not have the power to review Azalina’s ruling concerning Bintulu MP Datuk Tiong King Sing’s speech as it was final.

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“Can you let me finish talking? How can you say that the Speaker is stupid?

“Sit down!” Azhar shouted, and ordered Lim to take his seat.

The Opposition lawmaker refused and continued to speak, accusing the Speaker of conspiring with Tiong to insult the Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

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Lim’s persistence in ignoring Azhar’s repeated warnings — he even said he would call in the police — saw him receive a five-day suspension from Parliament sitting.

Lim is the second DAP MP to have been kicked out in the past two days. His party colleague and Jelutong MP RSN Rayer was ejected yesterday.

Instead of obeying Azhar’s order, Lim continued to argue with the Speaker.

“Speaker is the one who should leave (Parliament),” said Lim in the heated exchange.

Azhar then said under his breath, “Too much, you know”.

Lim asked the Speaker to identify the intended recipient of the muttered remark.

This led to Azhar threatening to summon the police, prompting Pakatan Harapan lawmaker such as Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim, Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin and Kampar MP Thomas Su to intervene

“Don’t start a new precedent, Speaker. There are the sergeant-at-arms,” the Bukit Mertajam MP said.

“This is matters of the Dewan, don’t involve the police,” the Bayan Baru MP said.

However, Azhar insisted he has the power to call in the police.

“There are three people there (referring to two other MPs who stood up — Kimanis MP and Jelebu MP). What am I supposed to do?” Azhar said.

In the midst of all the shouting, Lim quipped “Chill speaker. Bintulu, please say sorry.”

Azhar then explained that after reviewing the hansard, he said the ruling was made two to three times by the Deputy Speaker, which meant a ruling was made on Tiong’s remarks.

He was responding to the calls made by the Bayan Baru MP and Guan Eng for Tiong to apologise to Dr Noor Hisham.

At the Dewan Rakyat sitting yesterday, Tiong claimed that Dr Noor Hisham did not go to Sabah to check on the Covid-19 situation there, questioning if the Health director-general was ‘afraid to die’.

“Although she is a Deputy Speaker, when she is chairing the sitting, her power is equivalent to the Speaker and she was on the chair at the time.

“The ruling was made, and so I have to follow Standing Order 43, cannot overrule. Not food to overrule a ruling made by a speaker,” he said.

He also explained that following Standing Order 43, if there are requests to debate the ruling, a motion needs to be tabled.

“So I’m tied to Standing Order 43. I apologise,” Azhar told the Parliament.

Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng then stood up to ask for a clarification, indicating that when a ruling is not accurate, it can be reviewed.

However, Azhar said the matter cannot be reviewed without a specific motion.

Guan Eng proposed for such a motion, saying the remarks against the Health D-G was unacceptable.

Azhar agreed the matter should be corrected but said it was outside his purview.

When another DAP MP raised another point of contention, an exasperated Azhar told the lawmakers to stop and continue with the debate.