SHAH ALAM - The action of instructing Putrajaya MP Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin to leave the Dewan Rakyat not only hinders the democratic process but is also a disrespect to the debate forum.
Muafakat Nasional deputy chairman Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin stated that the chamber should be the primary arena for freely discussing public issues.
"Even though some MPs from the government were uncomfortable with Radzi's statement, debates in the chamber are part of the democratic process that should be respected by all parties.
"The altercation between the two MPs (Radzi and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) led to the Putrajaya MP being asked to leave the chamber, which is also seen as undemocratic despite the provocation in making accusatory statements uttered by Tambun MP (Anwar)," she said in a statement today.
On Sept 19, the media reported chaos in the Dewan Rakyat when Radzi (PN-Putrajaya) rose to request that the Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul instruct Anwar to retract statements that were allegedly defamatory towards him.
In the wake of this, the Madani Government Political Secretaries Council urged the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Datuk Seri Azalina Othman, to suspend Radzi from his duties due to his uncivil behaviour.
Commenting further, Zuraida stated that it was unjustifiable to suspend Radzi from his duties because the interaction between Radzi and Anwar was a common occurrence in Parliament.
"The biassed action taken by the then Dewan Rakyat Speaker and the recommendation to take disciplinary action against the Putrajaya MP is not an appropriate action as it restricts the freedom of parliamentarians to speak," she said.
At the same time, she said the response made by the Putrajaya MP in the chamber, mentioning the criminal case against the Tambun MP was a statement of fact and not defamation.