Gobind suspended one year from Parliament
(The Star) – Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo has been suspended from Parliament without allowance and benefits for one year for alleging that Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was involved in a murder case and for contempt against the Speaker.
Parliament Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia made the decision on Monday after the matter was put to vote and a majority of MPs were in favour of suspending Gobind Singh.
On Thursday, Gobind Singh was ejected from the House for the third time when he kept on speaking about Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu’s murder case although the chair had ordered him to stop.
Deputy Speaker Datuk Ronald Kiandee ruled that it was sub-judice to talk about a case that was pending in court.
The outburst occurred after Najib had finished replying to points raised during the debate on the mini budget.
More to come.
EARLIER REPORT
THE House is debating a motion from the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz to suspend Puchong DAP MP Gobind Singh Deo for 12 months.
The motion also seeks to suspend Gobind's allowance and any monetary perk that he is entitled to as a Member of Parliament.
In moving the motion this morning, Nazri told members, Gobind had on March 12, while debating the Supplementary Supply (2009) Bill 2009 at the committee stage, claimed that deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak was involved in a murder case.
Nazri said Gobind had had uttered insulting words at the chair as he was going out of the chamber, after being instructed to leave by deputy speaker Datuk Ronald Kiandee.
"The statements made by Puchong (Gobind) are serious charges. It impinges on the right and privilege of a member. It is an insult to the House," he told members to table thumping from backbenchers and jeers from the opposition.
The motion is expected to be carried by the House as the Barisan Nasional has the majority in the House.
Gobind Singh, over the next 12 months, stands to lose an estimated RM156,000 in allowances and perks.
An MP's basic allowance works out to about RM6,000 and after you factor in the perks, it comes to about RM13,000 a month. The allowance is not taxable.
The 180cm Liverpool fan is married with three children – four-year-old son Aydn Singh Deo; and identical twins Keeshan and Kayden, who are 18 months old.
Since his arrival in the Dewan Rakyat Gobind has succeeded in emulating his father, Karpal Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor) in one resepct – getting suspended.
He has earned a reputation in the House for active participation, particularly in matters related to the judiciary, the bar and his constitutency, Puchong.
Last Thursday, he was thrown out from the chamber for the third time in his young parliamentary career for being rude to the Chair.
Prior to that, he was ejected from the House on July 1, 2008 and Nov 12, 2008.
On July 7: Gobind was suspended from the Dewan Rakyat for two days following an exchange of words with Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia over opposition stalwart Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim seeking refuge in the Turkish Embassy after allegedly receiving death threats.
On Nov 25: Gobind was suspended for two days when he told deputy speaker Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar that he was biased in ruling that Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz need not be referred to the Privileges committee over a statement he had made in the House.
Gobind's father Karpal Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor) had claimed that Nazri misled members on the 1988 judicial crisis Nazri said that three of the judges were never sacked, but were told to go on early retirement. He later told reporters that the three judges were in fact sacked, but were given a pension following a request by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to the chief secretary to the government. – NST
