(Oct 21):  Putrajaya has withdrawn the notice on the motion to suspend DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang for accusing Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia of abusing his power.

This comes after protests from the opposition bloc, who accused the government of jumping the gun and having bad intentions against the Gelang Patah MP.

Minister in the prime minister's department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said retracted the notice under Standing Order 27 after she was instructed to do so by Pandikar.

Opposition federal lawmakers, especially Lim's colleagues from the DAP, had volubly protested against the motion and accused the administration of pre-empting the move even before the veteran leader had given his defence.

"I withdraw the notice under Standing Order 27," Azalina said.

However, Lim is not off the hook yet because he has yet to apologise or retract his accusations.

The Dewan Rakyat was debating the emergency motion on the smoke pollution enveloping Malaysia and this break would allow Lim, according to Pandikar, to ponder his next move.

Lim on Monday had accused Pandikar of abusing his powers by ruling a few months ago that Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) could not continue its ongoing probe into 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) following the transfer of four PAC members to the Cabinet.

Pandikar yesterday demanded that Lim apologise unconditionally and retract his statement against him at the "next opportune time".

The opposition MPs were up in arms today after the notice to suspend the Gelang Patah MP for six months appeared on their tables during lunch break.

Lim, who walked into the Chambers a few moments earlier, said today he had the fullest respect for the speaker and that he made no malicious allegation that Pandikar "deliberately abused" his powers or "deliberately sabotaged" PAC's 1MDB investigations.

Instead, he was just stating the effect of Pandikar's decision to freeze PAC's probe into 1MDB until the various vacancies are filled when Parliament meets some three months later.

Anthony Loke (DAP – Seremban) said the government's move to pre-empt the matter by tabling a notice of the motion is a ploy as part of its "tyranny" filled political agenda.

"Pandikar's remarks yesterday clearly meant that Lim would be given the opportunity to explain himself. How can the minister jump the gun? The executive clearly does not respect the speaker," he said.

He revealed Lim could not be in Parliament earlier as the MP was in Penang and his flight to Kuala Lumpur was delayed due to the smokey conditions.

Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa (Amanah – Parit Buntar) said the notice was issued not according to procedure.

"Gelang Patah was not given the justice promised by the speaker," he said.

In crumpling the notice of the motion, an exasperated Pandikar told the protesting MPs that the motion was just a notice and that the situation would not have arisen if Lim just apologised.

"If Gelang Patah followed my directive, we can do this," he said in squashing the green coloured notice.

"If he apologises and retracts his remarks, that's the greatest cure," he said.

Later, after the debate on the emergency motion on the smoke pollution enveloping Malaysia, deputy speaker Datuk Ismail Mohamed Said wanted Lim to state if he will apologise and retract his remarks.

This took the opposition lawmakers by surprise, arguing that there was no indication that this would come up after the debate.

Moreover, Lim had left the Chamber when the emergency motion came up for debate.

Unmoved by the MPs protests, Ismail said: "If he's not here, we take note that he has no intention of withdrawing his remarks." – The Malaysian Insider