Sexual
orientation and rules dominated the House during the week's proceedings at the
Dewan Rakyat.
The usual debates on the economy and
administration were spiced up when the controversial Seksualiti Merdeka festival
became a hot topic among several MPs.
It was outspoken lawmaker Datuk Zulkifli
Nordin (Ind-Kulim Bandar Baharu) who sparked a heated exchange when he called
for the gathering to be banned, saying the movement was promoting unnatural and
casual sex.
He also took a swipe at Bersih 2.0 chairman
Datuk S. Ambiga, questioning her role in the controversial event.
He noted that as a lawyer and former Bar
Council president, Ambiga had disregarded the sensitivity of Muslims in the
country and several thousand Muslims lawyers who were against the gathering.
Also voicing dissent towards the gathering was
Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan), who said the gathering would lead
to the country losing its morals. He chided Ambiga, saying she was championing
casual sex by recognising a movement which could lead to more baby dumping
cases in future.
Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud (PAS-Kota Raja), who is
also against the movement, caused a stir when she said she would not mind
attending the gathering to listen to the issues raised by the nation's Lesbian,
Gays, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) communities.
However, she too voiced her opposition against
the movement, adding that the authorities should engage with the various
groups.
It was the deference of the House rules that
was the emphasis of Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mu-lia and his deputy Datuk
Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
On Monday, MPs N. Gobalakrish-nan (Ind-Padang
Serai), Er Teck Hwa (DAP-Bakri) and Lim Lip Eng (DAP-Segambut), were booted out
of the House on separate occasions.
In the first incident, Junaidi ejected
Gobalakrishnan after he failed to stop his ranting against Karpal Singh
(DAP-Bukit Gelugor), who accused the Padang Serai MP of being of unsound mind
and not fit to be in the Dewan.
Gobalakrishnan hit out against Karpal when the
Bukit Gelugor MP moved a motion to debate Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin's tweet
about Kampung Buah Pala, saying that Penang Pakatan Rakyat had failed to
resolve the plight of the Indian community there.
The House erupted with MPs from both sides
trading barbs. Junaidi issued a stern warning that he would eject them if they
refused to sit down. A ranting Gobalakrishnan did not heed his warning and was
promptly thrown out.
Er was ejected from the House by Pandikar Amin
when he refused to sit down when ordered during ministerial replies.
His compatriot Lim was also booted out when he
told Er not to heed the order to leave.
On Wednesday, attempts by Pakatan Rakyat
opposition via Tian Chua (PKR-Batu) to move a motion for Prime Minister Datuk
Seri Najib Tun Razak to take a month's pay cut riled up MPs from both sides of
the political divide.
Before ruling on the matter, Pandikar lectured
MPs on the technicality behind rules with regard to Tian Chua's motion.
Although stating the rule could be abused for political mileage, he said he was
bound by precedent to allow the motion to be debated.
Despite Tian Chua explaining that his intent
to debate the motion was nothing personal against Najib, he was chided by
several Barisan MPs for alleging that Najib had failed to bring about change
since assuming the premiership.
Lilah Yasin (BN-Jempol) caused a stir among
opposition MPs when he hit out at them for questioning Najib's image when they
supported a leader "who slept with a prostitute". However, the matter
was laid to rest when the motion was rejected by a majority.
The court's ruling over the unconstitutional
provision under the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (UUCA)
barring students to express their political affiliation was also the focus of
MPs both inside and outside Parliament.
In his immediate response to the ruling,
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin told reporters at
the Parliament lobby that his ministry would bring the matter up to the Cabinet
to decide whether to appeal the court's decision.
During his winding-up speech in the House,
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz also touched
on the matter.
He said the lack of an appeal on the ruling
would be taken as a signal for lawmakers to amend the particular provision in
question.
However, he noted the Act would still be in
force for the moment.
Martin Carvalho
The Star
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