KUALA LUMPUR (March 28): Veteran Opposition leader and Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang was suspended for six months from the Dewan Rakyat after a battle of words turned sour, just ahead of the tabling of the Electoral Commission's constituency re-delineation report. 

Dewan Rakyat speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia approved the request for Lim to be suspended from Parliament — the fourth MP to be booted this week — after he refused to sit down when instructed by the Speaker. 

Lim raised the question as to whether the Dewan Rakyat speaker has the power under the Federal Constitution to enforce an embargo on the EC re-delineation report. 

"My question is: Where does it state in the Standing Orders that the Speaker has the power to implement an embargo [on the report]? That is it. If the Speaker feels he has the power, then he can do so," Lim said.

Lim later refused to exit the Dewan Rakyat after being instructed to do so by Pandikar, who then commenced the procedure for Lim's suspension under the Article 44(3) of the Dewan Rakyat Standing Orders. The six-month suspension was proposed by Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said (BN-Pengerang).

Lim joins three other MPs — Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham (DAP-Beruas), Nga Kor Ming (DAP-Taiping) and V. Sivakumar (DAP-Batu Gajah), who were handed a 10-day suspension each beginning March 26, for questioning Pandikar's decision to reject a motion to discuss the seizure of a luxury yacht, The Equanimity, in Indonesia, as well as on other 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB)-related issues. 

Earlier today, Pandikar said his decision is final to allow for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to table the EC report, amid claims by Charles Santiago (DAP-Klang) that the EC report is incomplete, pending the second hearing of objections by Selangor voters on the state's proposed re-delineation.

The EC report has faced multiple criticism over the last few days. Today, pro-reform group Bersih 2.0 marched to the Parliament to protest against reports on allegations of gerrymandering by the federal government.

Najib was scheduled to table the EC report today.