How it works
Normally, the Speaker will invite the MP to speak and only when the Speaker announces who is to speak does the MP stand up to speak. All the others are to remain seated and keep quiet. And if anyone shouts while the MP who has the floor speaks the Speaker can chide that person and if he or she does not listen then action can be taken against that person.
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
Raja Petra Kamarudin
This week, Padang Serai Member of Parliament N. Surendran was kicked out of Parliament and subsequently suspended for six months for defying the Parliament Speaker.
Surendran is not the first MP to suffer this fate. In fact, even Barisan Nasional MPs have also been disciplined in this fashion.
Basically, the Speaker has the final and absolute decision on who may speak and he or she has the power to discipline members who violate the procedures of the House.
Such are the powers of the Speaker.
I was watching the UK Parliament in session earlier this week and twice the Speaker stopped the debate and demanded that the MPs from both sides of the political divide stop shouting. Even the Prime Minister had to comply.
Normally, the Speaker will invite the MP to speak and only when the Speaker announces who is to speak does the MP stand up to speak. All the others are to remain seated and keep quiet. And if anyone shouts while the MP who has the floor speaks the Speaker can chide that person and if he or she does not listen then action can be taken against that person.
Sometimes, in the UK, too, the debates get out of hand but it is never allowed to descend to the level of a fish market like in Malaysia.
The bone of contention here is that the procedure in how action was taken against Surendran was not observed. The opposition says a one-day notice must be given before action can be taken. Hence it is an argument over technicalities.
That is the same reason why the Speaker stopped Surendran from speaking — because he needed to give a two-day notice, which he did not. However, when asked to stop talking, he refused to do so — ignoring the fact that the Speaker decides if you can or cannot speak.
Whether the Speaker was wrong is one issue, which the opposition is contesting. But whether Surendran was also wrong is a matter that the opposition does not wish to discuss.
Maybe to avoid such incidences in future all those elected into office should be made to attend a class regarding Parliament procedures and rules. After that they should sit for a test and if they fail they should be made to attend the class again. Only then will we have civilised MPs who do not turn Parliament into a circus. If not Parliament will look like a zoo during feeding time.
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Surendran ejected from Dewan over temple issue
(FMT) – Padang Serai MP N.Surendran was thrown out of parliament today for bringing up an emergency motion on the demolition of part of the hundred year old Sri Muneswarar Kaliyamman temple at Jalan Raja Chulan.
He cited Rule of Order 18.1, and wanted to read out the motion but was stopped by the Dewan Rakyat speaker Pandikar Amin.
The Dewan Rakyat speaker stated that in order to invoke Rule Order 18.1, the matter should be an urgent issue that involves national issues.
Pandikar Amin advised Surendran to invoke Rule of Order 43 which requires two days, in advance, to submit an emergency motion.
The Padang Serai MP, unhappy with the speaker’s ruling continued to read the emergency motion and displayed a placard with photos of the demolished temple.
The speaker then invoked Rule Order 44, and ejected Surendran from the parliament session.
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Surendran suspended for six months
(FMT) – The Parliament suspended Padang Serai MP N Surendran today for six months for insulting Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia amid strong criticism that the motion is illegal and against the procedure.
The Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers rejected the motion when it was tabled at 11.30am because it did not fulfill the one-day filing requirement.
The motion was only filed at 6pm yesterday.
Surendran had accused the Speaker for uttering complete lies and being biased in a media conference after the PKR leader was ejected by the House on Tuesday.
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‘Revoke suspension against Surendran’
(FMT) – Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) today urged the Dewan Rakyat to revoke its suspension against PKR MP N Surendran, claiming the suspension was mala fide and illegal.
“Surendran’s suspension is a mockery of our supposedly most august House which is fast losing its lustre, respect and public confidence,” said LFL adviser Eric Paulsen.
On Tuesday, Surendran was ejected from the Parliament for criticising Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia for refusing to allow a motion to debate the demolition of the Sri Muneswarar Kaliyaman Temple in Jalan P Ramlee.
The next day, Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs, led by Law Minister Nancy Shukri brought in a motion to suspend Surendran from parliament for six months.
