KUALA LUMPUR – The uproar among lawmakers when debating the Audit (Amendment) Bill 2024 was cut short when Deputy Speaker Alice Lau (Lanang-PH) abruptly ended today’s Dewan Rakyat sitting.
This came after MPs from both sides of the aisle repeatedly ignored her orders for them to quit trading barbs, which prevented debates on the bill.
The prolonged argument in the lower House saw MPs shouting over each other on multiple issues, including Israel-linked BlackRock’s perceived role in Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd’s privatisation exercise and gold mining in Kelantan.
Chaos first erupted when government backbencher R.S.N Rayer (Jelutong-PH) brought up a September 2023 news report on a Kelantan government-linked company (GLC) undertaking a gold mining project said to impact and displace wildlife.
Opposition lawmakers, namely Datuk Awang Hashim (Pendang-PN) and Datuk Khlir Modh Nor (Ketereh-PN), did not take kindly to Rayer’s mention of the PAS-led state, and they began questioning Rayer to state the link between the project and the bill at hand.
Khlir, in particular, was heard accusing Rayer of “insulting” Kelantan.
Rayer’s attempts to explain why he cited the report, however, were mostly drowned by both opposition voices continuously lambasting him, as well as PKR’s Tan Kar Hing’s (Gopeng-PH) interjections to support his fellow government MP.
“Deputy Speaker, I’m just saying that with amendments to the act, the auditor-general will have the power to audit such companies…we want to know if public funds were involved,” Rayer said before yet another shouting match erupted.
After several minutes of MPs shouting over their muted microphones, Lau called on Awang to present his debate on the bill, during which he brought up the controversy surrounding BlackRock’s supposed ownership of MAHB’s shares through Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP).
“After this bill is passed, an audit should be done on MAHB to investigate why its shares are being offered to a foreign entity,” he said while fielding Tan’s requests for an interjection.
DAP’s Khoo Poay Tiong (Kota Melaka-PH) then joined the fray by citing Standing Order 36(6) on how no member shall impute improper motives against another member, accusing Awang of purposefully presenting the MAHB issue in a negative light.
In response, Awang claimed Khoo was going against the prime minister. This assertion incited yet another verbal spat in the Dewan, with DAP’s Howard Lee (Ipoh Timur-PH) and Syahredzan Johan (Bangi-PH) heard slamming Awang’s claims.
Without waiting for Lau’s approval, Lee cited Standing Order 36(12) on misleading the House, reiterating that Awang had issued wrong statements regarding the sale of MAHB’s shares to BlackRock, which will only complete its acquisition of GIP by the third quarter of this year.
While Lau later advised Lee to submit a written motion on the matter, Lee refused to take a seat, instead pressing for a ruling ordering Awang to retract his remark.
Amid the chaos which ensued after her ruling, Lau said: “I think all MPs are not interested in debating (the bill), so today’s session is postponed to 10am tomorrow.”
The issue of MAHB’s proposed privatisation deal involving GIP as a consortium shareholder has repeatedly been brought up in Parliament due to BlackRock’s links with weapons companies said to be supplying arms to Israel. – July 2, 2024