MEDIA STATEMENT
UMNO President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s defence of Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin Abdul Rahman’s insult of the holy ash worn by Jelutong MP RSN Rayer at the UMNO General Assembly today is a bit late in the day and ill advised.
I am not sure if Zahid was in Parliament yesterday when the motion to refer Tajuddin to the rights and privileges committee was called up but am certain that he did not attempt to debate the same.
As the leader of UMNO, Zahid ought to have instructed other UMNO MPs to calm down and allow the debate on the motion to proceed smoothly.
Instead, the said UMNO MPs created a ruckus, forcing the Deputy Speaker to put the said motion to a vote after I had started debating the same.
If Zahid was sincere about defending Tajuddin, he ought to have participated in the debate himself yesterday. Whatever arguments put forward by him would have been considered and a vote would have been taken after a proper debate.
I note several BN MPs were absent during the said motion yesterday which can be construed as a sign that they too do not support or condone Tajuddin’s remarks.
Tajuddin can defend himself now before the said committee. It will be for the said committee to decide his fate thereafter.
Zahid’s failure to defend Tajuddin in Parliament yesterday is telling and his defence of him today at the said assembly is clearly an attempt at playing to the gallery for political gain.
Dated this 6th of December, 2019.
RAMKARPAL SINGH
MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT
BUKIT GELUGOR
CHAIRMAN NATIONAL LEGAL BUREAU
DEMOCRATIC ACTION PARTY