BN backbenchers want 3 DAP MPs cited for contempt of Parliament

(FMT) – The Barisan Nasional Back Benchers Club (BNBBC) wants three DAP MPs cited for contempt of Parliament.

BNBBC chairman Shahrir Abdul Samad said action should be taken against V Sivakumar (Batu Gajah), Ngeh Koo Ham (Beruas) and Nga Kor Ming (Taiping).

Speaking at a press conference at the Dewan Rakyat media centre today, Shahrir said the three had accused Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia of colluding to cover up a corruption scandal by rejecting their motion to debate the seizure of a superyacht in Indonesia.

He said their statement contained elements of judgment and presumption.

Shahrir said the three MPs should learn from former DAP Batu Gajah MP Fong Po Kuan who was suspended for six months for insulting and refusing to apologise to the then Dewan Rakyat Speaker Mohamad Zahir Ismail in 2001.

The three DAP MPs demanded that Pandikar resign for disallowing an emergency motion to debate the seizure of the Equanimity, a luxury yacht linked to Malaysian businessman Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low, and questions related to the government’s investment fund, 1MDB.

In a joint statement, Nga, Ngeh and Sivakumar had said the Dewan Rakyat should not become an “accomplice to cover up corruption scandals”.

“As speaker Pandikar has failed to uphold the truth, then the most honourable thing for him to do is to resign,” the statement said.

The Equanimity was seized by Indonesian authorities on Feb 28 in Bali, in a joint effort with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Jho Low is a central figure in the US Department of Justice (DoJ) probe into allegations that billions of dollars had been stolen from 1MDB and used to buy assets.