Gobind says Speaker should have let him defend himself
By Lee Wei Lian and Adib Zalkapli (The Malaysian Insider)
KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 – Gobind Singh Deo, who was suspended from parliament for 12 months for accusing the deputy prime minister of being involved in the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu in parliament last week, says that he cannot accept the punishment without being given the chance to defend himself.
“A motion was moved against me to suspend me for 12 months and when I stood up to respond in my defence I was shot down,” Gobind told reporters in a press conference in the lobby of parliament after opposition lawmakers staged a walkout.
“I did not make accusations against Pekan behind his (Najib’s) back. He was in parliament and I asked him to explain. That’s all I did. As a member of parliament, it is my duty to ask questions in the house. I don’t feel I did anything wrong. If we need clarification, we have to ask.”
Also present at the press conference was Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, DAP veterans Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh and Pas secretary general Datuk Kamaruddin Jaafar.
“I think this (the suspension) is disgusting. It is not respecting natural justice,” said Anwar.
“The way the Umno-BN-controlled house is treating members of parliament is disgusting, to say the least. We had no choice but to walk out in protest against the manner the entire house conducts itself without any respect to the spirit of the constitution.”
Earlier in his speech while debating the motion, Anwar admitted that Gobind had made a serious allegation but said he must be given a chance to address the House.
“This is a serious allegation, nobody should make such a statement if it is not defensible. I have yet to listen to Puchong’s explanation, but he must be given the space to explain himself,” he told the House.
“Do not rush in using the majority against the accuser, if he cannot provide evidence, punish him,” he added.
Anwar said that the allegation could not be resolved with the motion by the minister or through voting in the House.
“A serious allegation cannot be covered up with a ministerial statement or voting. A political debate will not solve the problems,” said Anwar.
Kamaruddin pointed out that as many members of parliament as possible should have been allowed to debate the suspension.
“This suspension would result in a constituency that has (about) 80,000 voters having no voice in parliament for year and for it to be decided like that, it has never happened before in a normal democracy.”
Lim added that “today Parliament convened as a court of justice. But we see a kangaroo court in operation.”
Karpal, Gobind’s father, said that the Speaker, as man of the House, should have allowed the Puchong representative to defend himself.
He said that the matter should be referred to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, “so that the world can see.”
