Thursday 28 Mar 2024
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KUALA LUMPUR (Mar 19): Dewan Rakyat speaker Datuk Mohamad Ariff Yusof has affirmed the earlier ruling made by deputy speaker Nga Kor Ming to suspend Umno lawmaker Noh Omar for three days over his remarks that were deemed disrespectful of the August House yesterday. 

Ariff took over as chair of the house after lunch break, to resolve the impending issue that went on for most of the morning session. As a start to clear up the issue, he had given Noh (BN-Tanjung Karang) a chance to defend his position. 

“I understand that objections were raised by the opposition on the grounds that he (Noh) was not given the right to defend himself. Well now I give you the right to defend yourself,” he told Noh. 

Noh then raised the issue of the Taliban remarks made by Nga, pointing out that he was just asking the deputy speaker whether he had indeed made the statement. 

“What happens outside of this Dewan is beyond the discussion of this session,” Ariff said. 

“According to the hansard of the meeting yesterday, it was clear that you were challenging the sanctity of the speaker as the chair of the meeting,” he told Noh. 

“So with this, I will maintain the ruling that was made by the deputy speaker. This decision is final and I won’t hear anything further on this issue.”

This caused objections from several Umno MPs, including Ismail Mohamed Said (BN-Kuala Krau), Ismail Sabri Yaakob (BN-Bera), and Annuar Musa (BN-Ketereh), which led to a ruckus in the house.

Ariff then asked for the serjeant-at-arms to escort Noh out and called for the meeting to be adjourned for 15 minutes, in order to calm the house down before reconvening the debate on the Yang Di Pertuan Agong’s speech.  

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