MP stopped from playing audio purportedly involving Muhyiddin in Dewan Rakyat

(FMT) – Opposition MP Ramkarpal Singh began playing an audio recording of a voice purported to be that of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin in the Dewan Rakyat but was promptly stopped by the deputy speaker.

Ramkarpal initially asked MPs if the person behind an alleged leaked audio recording was Muhyiddin enticing Umno leaders to join his party with promises of positions on the Cabinet and GLCs,.

The Bukit Gelugor MP further asked for updates on the police reports made against the audio.

“I want to ask the home minister the status of these reports as we know the matter is crucial as there could be elements of corruption. I have raised the issue to the prime minister on the voice audio. Is it him? asked Ramkarpal during the debate.

He said an offence would have been committed if the voice behind the audio was indeed that of Muhyiddin.

The lawyer said: “All he (Muhyiddin) has to do is to confirm if the voice is his.”

He then took the Dewan Rakyat by surprise by starting to play the two minute audio.

Deputy Speaker Azalina Othman Said, who was chairing the session, stopped him and asked under which Standing Order he was playing the audio in the Dewan Rakyat.

Ramkarpal said playing an audio in the house was nothing new and that it had been done in 2007.

But Azalina said MPs would need to submit a notice first before playing any audio, adding that this was Parliament and not a court room.

Ramkarpal replied that people had the right to know the person behind the audio.

The recording was purportedly made at the PPBM Supreme Council meeting on Feb 23, a day before Dr Mahathir Mohamad resigned as prime minister and as chairman of PPBM, causing the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government.

The voice in the recording is heard to encourage PPBM leaders to try to convince Umno MPs to switch sides. PPBM would be the largest Malay party in the government if they succeeded, the person is heard saying.

At a press conference later, Ramkarpal expressed disappointment over Azalina’s decision. He said he had managed to play the audio for a few seconds before Azalina instructed him to stop.

He said he was not aware that he was required to inform the speaker on the contents of his debate beforehand. He also said he did not know of any rule under the Standing Orders that prohibited the playing of audio recordings that are part of an MP’s speech.

“For that reason and that reason alone, the speaker should not have stopped me from playing the recording,” he said.

“Some police reports and with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) too have been lodged over the audio recording. That is why I brought it up, to ask the minister if any action has been taken on the reports or the status of the reports. If the reports have been looked into and no criminal elements were found, that’s fine, so be it.”

Ramkarpal said he also wanted to give the Dewan Rakyat the opportunity to distinguish whose voice it was in the recording.

He pointed out that the late Karpal Singh had also played an audio recording in the Dewan Rakyat previously.