KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 21 — Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Seri Johari Abdul said today that he would decide tomorrow whether to take action against Kapar MP Dr Halimah Ali for her allegedly misleading remarks on Menu Rahmah, among others linking it to autism.
After Perikatan Nasional MP Mohd Misbahul Munir Masduki claimed Dr Halimah was misunderstood, Johari also asked the former to submit the specific part of the Hansard which would back his argument.
“God willing, I will study the Hansard and make the decision tomorrow,” he told the Parliament here.
This was in reaction to Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii’s request that she withdraw her remark and apologise to those with autism and people with disabilities.
He called her irresponsible for issuing comments that could stigmatise both groups.
However, Mohd Misbahul then said that Dr Yii’s understanding of the comment was in bad faith, contrary to Standing Order 36(6), which states that no member shall impute improper motives to any other member.
“This also means that [Dr Yii] attributed improper motives to [Dr Halimah] because she did not mean it that way,” he said, proceeding to re-read her offending remarks from the Hansard.
This caused a row to erupt between him, Dr Yii and Hulu Langat MP Mohd Sany Hamzan, which Johari interrupted by ordering all to sit and stop the argument that would go on “till midnight.”
Dr Halimah then tried to insist she was not referring to the Menu Rahmah, but was also told to sit down.
Earlier today, Dr Yii said that he had written to the Speaker to table a motion to refer Dr Halimah to the rights and privileges committee for misleading the House.
The controversy first erupted last week when Dr Halimah appeared to comment on the Menu Rahmah while debating the royal address.
“I have no problem with the term ‘Rahmah’ but don’t let it come to the point that commoners, the B40, are supplied with low-quality food and which may expose them to cancer, autoimmune disease, to autism, and more” she said, according to the Hansard, during the February 14 sitting.
B40 technically refers to the country’s bottom 40th percentile of income earners in the country.
Menu Rahmah was launched on January 31 by the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub.
The initiative involves the companies in the private sector offering balanced, cooked meals for a maximum of RM5 at selected food outlets, without government subsidies.
