KUALA LUMPUR – DAP national chairman Lim Guan Eng (Bagan-PH) warned lawmakers against disputing the party’s unwavering stance on the Palestine-Israel conflict.
This came after a series of back-and-forths between Lim and PAS lawmaker Datuk Ahmad Marzuk Shaary (Pengkalan Chepa-PN) on whether the party would issue a statement opposing Zionism.
“Do not play politics with Gaza’s humanitarian crisis. We have made a stand to condemn what has happened,” Lim said in the Dewan Rakyat today.
“(We have) made multiple statements, not wanting to politicise this matter. Do not dispute our sincerity to oppose the genocide,” he added, before picking at the opposition for their “old-fashioned thinking”.
Before debating the 2024 supply bill, Lim proposed that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim hold a summit with other powers to oppose the United States and its allies amid the conflict. He was then asked by Marzuk if DAP would issue the aforementioned statement.
Lim quipped that Marzuk did not keep with the times because DAP’s Howard Lee (Ipoh Timur-PH) had repeatedly stated the party’s stance on the conflict and attended various conferences on the matter.
Yesterday, the Budget 2024 debates took a back seat when the Dewan Rakyat was interrupted by a shouting match over allegations of Lee’s “misinterpretation” of Quranic verses that were done “to punish the opposition”.
The squabbles intensified after Marzuk allegedly referred to DAP as kafir (infidel).
Subsequently, Lee cited Standing Order 36(6) on false claims, and Deputy Speaker Datuk Ramli Mohd Nor (Cameron Highlands-BN) said he would make a decision on the Standing Order invoked by Lee a day later.
Today, Ramli ruled that Marzuk’s statement yesterday did not include any phrases of slander and was instead an academic issue. – October 18, 2023