Kit Siang ejected from Parliament for calling UMNO 'Power Crazy'

KUALA LUMPUR,— DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang was ejected from the Dewan Rakyat by Deputy speaker Ronald Kiandee at about 10.50am for refusing to retract his accusation that Umno was ‘gila kuasa’ or ‘power crazy’ while debating amendments to the Human Rights Commission Bill.

Kiandee ordered Lim to retract his statement but he refused. Lim will not be allowed into the Dewan till 1pm today.

Preceeding that, a screamfest ensued between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers over Lim’s words.

Ronald also ordered Kinabatangan member of parliament, Bung Mokhtar Radin, to retract his insults which he did after Lim was ejected.
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It's glad to be back in Parliament - Anwar

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim ended his 10-year absence from Parliament when he was sworn in at 10.05am by Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia in the Dewan Rakyat.

He can now drop the "de facto" prefix from his position as opposition leader as Pandikar Amin confirmed the endorsement by Pakatan Rakyat of his leadership immediately after the swearing-in.

"According to Standing Order 4A(3), I wish to inform that from the feedback I have received, I am satisfied that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, MP for Permatang Pauh, has received unanimous support from opposition members to be appointed opposition leader," the speaker told the House to the loud table-thumping by opposition MPs which had soundtracked the entire swearing-in ceremony.

In asking the first question during the Q&A session, the BN's Sepanggar MP Datuk Eric Enchin Majimbun first congratulated "the honourable Permatang Pauh" and this was echoed by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz.

"I would like to congratulate him on his return to Parliament and also his appointment as opposition leader," he said before answering the question.

Immediately after, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang stood up to ask a supplementary question but prefixed it by proclaiming that the Permatang Pauh by-election was a "second political tsunami" after the March 8 general election and added that "the government will be sunk like the Titanic".

Anwar later told the press that "everyone wanted me to take an oath, so it's done", a double entendre alluding to earlier calls for him to swear on the Quran to counter sodomy allegations reiterated in a similar oath taken by his accuser Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

Saying that he was glad to be back after a decade of "being denied of my rights, although it's been good that Azizah has been holding the fort as MP for Permatang Pauh and opposition leaders," referring to his wife and PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

"I feel I am vindicated after all these personal attacks just to deny me - at all cost, Anwar must not be allowed to return to Parliament. But the people of Permatang Pauh are wise enough to want to see me in Parliament. All their machination, the might of those in authority, the massive power and billions of dollars cannot alter the simple minds of Malaysians," he stated.

Asked about the fact that the "live" broadcast of Parliament today had only begun after his swearing in, he replied: "That's normal for these nasty machinations of the BN government. Even after I have won, they are still in a state of denial. They use their henchmen in the media, RTM and TV3 for example, not just to broadcast malicious and scurrilous attacks but to deny even what is standard procedure.

"Doesn't this sound stupid?" he added.

Nazri, however, insisted that the government had only ever agreed to broadcast the Q&A session and not specifically proceedings from 10am.

Anwar's first debate today will be to tackle the controversial DNA Identification Bill which the opposition has claimed is targeted directly at Anwar's sodomy case.

Tomorrow, he wil take his place opposite the man he seeks to depose, Finance and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, for tomorrow's tabling of the 2009 Budget.

Excerpt from http://themalaysianinsider.com.my/index.php/malaysia/8216-anwars-back-in-parliament

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BN tables DNA Bill - Dewan Rakyat

The government has tabled the long awaited Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Identification Bill 2008, and it is expected to be debated and passed at the current meeting.

Home Minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar quickly quashed any talk that the bill was politicallly motivated.

He said it had nothing do with the current sodomy charge being faced by de factor opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

"Suspects have to give their DNA samples compulsorily," said Syed Hamid in the lobby after tabling the bill for first reading yesterday.

"It is not politically motivated and has nothing to do with Anwar Ibrahim. The government has been working on this bill since 2001. It is ridiculous to attribute it to political motives," he said.
Syed Hamid said the bill is not targeted specifically at any individual but to record the DNA of every person who is charged in court or arrested.
He said the bill covered the extraction of DNA under all crimes covered by the Penal Code.

"There is no law at present on this aspect. What we are doing is introducing a law to regulate and govern the taking of DNA. I don't think they (the opposition) should attribute a sinister motive to it. If there is a case in court and you are not guilty why should you worry about this bill," he said.

The bill which was to have been tabled during the 11th parliament was delayed as the government had wanted the bill to accommodate some of the rapid changes taking place in the field of forensic study.

Apart from providing for compulsory extraction of DNA, the bill seeks to provide for the establishment of Forensic DNA Databank; the taking of DNA samples; forensic DNA analysis; the use of DNA profiles and any information related to it; and any matters connected therewith.

The bill also provides for punitive measures on those who refuse to give a "non-initmate sample", refuse to allow such a sample to be taken or obstruct anyone from taking a sample.

The bill defines "non-intimate" as pubic hair, sample taken from a nail or under a nail, a swab from a non-private part and saliva.

The bill defines "intimate sample" as blood, semen, tissue or fluid taken from a person's body, urine or public hair or a swab from a person's private parts.

Anyone who refuses to give a "non-intimate sample" will be liable to a fine not exceeding RM10,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or both.

However, the bill is silent on the type of punitive action to be taken on those who refuse to give an "intimate sample".

Opposition member, Gobind Singh Deo (DAP-Puchong) said the bill did not have any retrospective provision, which simply meant it could not be used to extract any DNA samples from Anwar compulsorily.

"From what I have read so far there is no such provision for the bill being enforced at a retrospective date," he said in the lobby.

The final draft of the bill was prepared by officials of the police, Chemistry Department, the Attorney-General Chambers and Home Ministry.

Excerpt from http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Monday/Frontpage/20080818124150/Article/index_html

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