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Resubmission
of motions to July Parliament to debate Suhakam Report 2003 and to refer
Utusan Malaysia and Bernama to Committee of Privileges Media Conference Statement (3) by Lim Kit Siang (Parliament House, Wednesday): I have resubmitted for the July meeting of Parliament the motions to debate the Suhakam Report 2003 and to refer Utusan Malaysia and Bernama to the Committee of Privileges. My motion in the last meeting of Parliament to debate the Suhakam Report 2003 did not appear on the Parliamentary Order Paper as it was unable to comply with the requisite 14-day notice as the tabling of the Suhakam Report 2003 in Parliament did not allow for such a notice period. I had asked the government to give the motion priority which would obviate the need for the 14-day notice for an ordinary motion, but the Cabinet decided against it, with the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, claiming that the Suhakam Report could be debated on various different occasions in Parliament. This has proved to be untrue, as there was no occasion to debate the Suhakam Report during the three-day meeting allocated for supplementary supply estimates, the one occasion which Nazri had cited was the most appropriate occasion for such a debate. In the circumstances, I call on the Cabinet to agree that the first day of the July meeting of Parliament on July 5 should be set aside for the debate on the Suhakam Report 2003 to do double justice, firstly to Suhakam in the discharge of its statutory remit to protect and promote human rights; and secondly, to Parliament, in exercising responsible oversight over Suhakam. On the substantive motion to refer Utusan Malaysia and Bernama to the Committee of Privileges, I was only able to give notice to Parliament on the last sitting of Parliament on Monday. As the last parliamentary meeting had been adjourned, I have re-submitted my motion for debate and decision by Parliament next month. I am referring Utusan Malaysia and Bernama to the Committee of Privileges for distorting my speech in Parliament on 9th June, seeking to paint me as anti-Malay and anti-Islam, falsely alleging that I had challenged why a Muslim is the Prime Minister of Malaysia – which I had never done. |