GEORGE TOWN, May 8 (Bernama) -- All 11 Penang Barisan Nasional (BN) State
Assemblymen once again staged a walkout today after their motion for Chief
Minister Lim Guan Eng to face the Assembly Rights Committee was rejected by
Speaker Datuk Abdul Halim Hussain.
The motion proposed by Datuk Jasmin Mohamed (BN-Sungai Dua) and seconded by
the other BN assemblymen followed Lim''s statement at yesterday''s sitting
pertaining to the demolition of the Sri Muniswaran temple at the Penang Port Sdn
Bhd (PPSB), which they alleged was racist and seditious.
Opposition chief Datuk Azhar Ibrahim (BN-Penaga) said the action by the
Speaker to reject the motion without any consideration showed democracy no
longer prevailed and he had lost confidence in the state legislative assembly.
"Everybody heard the statement yesterday. Today the word has been changed to
''threatened''. This is a big lie by a chief minister in this dignified hall.
What''s the use of our sitting in the assembly with a chief minister who is a big
liar?
"The Speaker purportedly also saw the statement as verbatim...if in the
assembly he can lie, what more to the people," he told reporters here.
-- MORE
ASSEMBLY-PENANG (WALKOUT) 2 GEORGE TOWN
Earlier, before the winding up on the motion of thanks to the opening
address by Yang Di-Pertua Negeri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas during the first meeting
of the fifth session of the 12th Penang legislative assembly, Jasmin proposed
that Lim be brought before the assembly rights committee under Regulation 34.8.
However, Abdul Halim rejected it on the grounds that Lim had not meant "all
the temples would be demolished but temples would be threatened".
"What was mentioned by the chief minister was ''I feel Hindu temples will be
threatened'' not ''all temples will be demolished''. The chief minister''s statement
was clear. I have made the decision to reject this motion," he said.
Jasmin and a number of BN reps who were not satisfied with the decision
called for the motion to be facilitated and considered before any final decision
was made.
R.S.N Rayer (DAP-Seri Delima) then interrupted and said the motion need not
be facilitated as there were members who had objected to it and a motion
required the majority in agreement.
-- MORE
ASSEMBLY-PENANG (WALKOUT) 3 (LAST) GEORGE TOWN
Azhar then rose and said they would lodge reports to the police and the
Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission on the statement by Lim, before walking out
with 10 other BN reps.
Speaking to reporters later, Azhar, describing Lim as the "father of
racism", said Lim''s statement was an attempt to incite racism among the people
and demanded that Lim apologized.
Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya (BN-Teluk Bahang) said Lim''s action showed that
the opposition were worried about the Indian community''s renewed support
for BN in the state.
"I feel this matter had caused anxiety among DAP, hence, why Lim tried to
stir a conflict between the Indian community and Umno," he said.
-- BERNAMA
NAW AZE ELM JRL
