KUALA LUMPUR: Issues or matters raised to be deliberated in the Dewan Rakyat must be made according to facts and not based on mere speculations.
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun issued the reminder to all Members of Parliament today, following an incident in the Lower House yesterday where Ramkarpal Singh (DAP - Bukit Gelugor) attempted to play a controversial audio recording that allegedly involved Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (Parti Pribumi Malaysia Bersatu – Pagoh).
"It is stipulated in the Dewan Rakyat Standing Order that any matters which was published in newspapers or magazines are not allowed to be raised (in the lower house) for the purpose of checking their authenticity, or otherwise.
"I am of the opinion that when the Deputy Speaker (Datuk Seri Azalina Othman) presided the session at the time, she had accepted the fact that maybe the audio recording was not authentic and did not fulfil the best evidence rule.
"Having said that, we must raise facts and not speculations (in the Dewan Rakyat)," he said.
Earlier, R.S.N Rayer (DAP-Bukit Jelutong) asked Azhar to explain whether there was any standing order preventing Ramkarpal from playing the audio recording during yesterday's session.
It was reported that Ramkarpal's attempt to play the recording failed when he was stopped by Azalina shortly after hitting the 'play' button.
He had claimed that the recording was of Muhyiddin saying that Umno MPs can be enticed to join Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) if they were offered ministerial posts or positions in government-linked companies (GLCs).
Ramkarpal had said this when debating the Royal Address in the House yesterday.
Azalina had later asked Ramkarpal to cite a standing order that allowed audiovisuals to be played in the Dewan Rakyat.
Ramkarpal then responded that no standing order prevented such a thing, adding that his late father Karpal Singh had also played a recording once in Parliament to make it part of his speech.
Azalina, however, did not allow the recording to be played on the grounds that the Dewan Rakyat is not a Court.
"There is no issue of hearsay. This is a debate (ongoing)." Azalina had said.
