Row in Parliament as lawmakers ask if senior minister ‘blocked’ DAP MP from temping as Deputy Speaker

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 21 — The Dewan Rakyat descended into chaos today as Opposition MPs demanded that the Deputy Speaker and Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali explain if the latter had blocked a DAP lawmaker’s appointment as temporary Deputy Speaker to preside over the afternoon session yesterday.

Deputy Speaker Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon was presiding over the Question and Answer (Q&A) today when Kota Melaka MP Khoo Poay Tiong interjected and demanded that he clarify if a senior minister had blocked Teluk Intan MP Nga Kor Ming’s initial appointment for the role.

“Speaker, I want to ask for an explanation. Who is the senior minister who had intervened, abused powers, whereby according to a report, there is a senior minister who had blocked the Speaker (Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun) from inviting Teluk Intan as a Speaker yesterday. So, I want to know if that senior minister is in the House this morning. Today, I see two senior ministers here,” he said.

Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran then shouted Mohamed Azmin’s name to claim he was the senior minister in question.

Rashid then ordered Khoo to sit and proceeded to have Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo ask his question.

However, Gobind stood up and demanded the same answer.

“Speaker, I challenge the Gombak MP to answer if he is that senior minister. Stand up and answer that question now. If you are brave, as the senior minister, stand up and answer the question now,” he demanded.

Mohamed Azmin, who is the senior minister of international trade and industry, then stood up to answer but was cut off by Rashid who disallowed the arguments.

Rashid then called for order and directed Gobind to pose his question.

Malay Mail was informed that Nga was asked by Azhar to preside over yesterday’s meeting between 2.30pm and 4pm, and that a senior minister allegedly objected.