> Karpal resubmits motion on CJ
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia today shot down several emergency motions moved by Pakatan Rakyat MPs, citing technical grounds as reasons for doing so.
First to be rejected was veteran opposition MP Karpal Singh (DAP-Batu Gelugor), who wanted to move an emergency motion to debate Chief Justice Zaki Azmi's confession that he had bribed court staff during his days as a lawyer.
In the motion that Karpal filed yesterday, he accused the chief justice of "committing a serious offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1981 which requires an in‑depth investigation".
Pandikar today revealed that Karpal's emergency motion was amongst three others filed by other Pakatan MPs.
"Under parliamentary rule, only one motion can be tabled in a day and therefore I have to ask you to resubmit your motion notice again," Pandikar told Karpal.
Under Parliamentary standing order 18 (5), only one motion can be tabled in the Dewan for a day and this left Pandikar no choice but to opt for the first motion notice to arrive in the Speaker's office - Mohamad Hayati Othman's (PAS-Pendang) motion to debate the status of a hospital in Sabah.
The motion, to debate the allegedly dangerous physical structure of the Sabah Elizabeth Hospital, was however, rejected by Pandikar on grounds that it was not an urgent matter.
Karpal when met later said he resubmitted his motion early this morning.
"I hope that the Speaker will allow it to be tabled soon. Otherwise, I will lodge a police report and let them investigate because it is a very serious matter," he said.
Kit Siang's motion also rejected
Lim Kit Siang's motion to call for the cabinet to overrule Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar's decision to appeal against the Shah Alam High Court's decision to free controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin was also shot down on similar reasons.
In the Dewan, Lim urged the Speaker to have a more systematic way of handling the matter so that MPs will not have to redundantly resubmit their applications.
At a press conference yesterday, the veteran politician said he submitted the motion on the grounds that the home minister's decision was an "utter contempt for the fundamental concept of the rule of law".
Raja Petra who was detained under Section 8 of the Internal Security Act was released by the High Court on Friday after it ruled that the government had acted outside its powers by ordering Raja Petra to serve two years in detention without trial.
Lim added that the court's decision last Friday was in fact a "positive reflection in the last five months of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's premiership and should be the occasion for the cabinet to undertake a full review of the draconian law".
Syed Hamid has expressed disappointment over the blogger's release and is planning to appeal against the decision - Malaysiakini.
