Bad Habit Of The Opposition

Opposition Members Withdraw From Parliament Probe Panel

KUALA LUMPUR, March 17 (Bernama) -- The three opposition members have withdrawn from the special committee set up by the Dewan Rakyat to investigate the Feb 26 incident where Karpal Singh was allegedly prevented from entering Parliament House by a number of people, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz.
Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur), R. Sivarasa (PKR-Subang) and Datuk Kamaruddin Jaffar (PAS-Tumpat) did not attend the committee's second meeting today and have withdrawn from the panel, he told reporters at the Parliament lobby. The committee first met on March 11.
The committee is chaired by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia. Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Datuk Dr Ronald Kiandee is the deputy chairman.
The other members of the panel are Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing (BN-Bintulu), Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn (BN-Alor Gajah) and Datuk Nancy Shukri (BN-Batang Sadong).
Nazri said he hoped that opposition Members of Parliament would not dispute any decision adopted by the committee.
"We invited them to attend but they chose not to participate (in the meeting). That's their decision. We cannot force them. Whatever decision the committee adopts will be brought to the Dewan Rakyat," he said.
He also said that the number of members of the committee was adequate and the vacancies left by the opposition members would not be taken up by MPs from the Barisan Nasional (BN).
Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim cited "inconsistency" of the committee in conducting its investigation into Karpal Singh's complaint as the main reason for the withdrawal of the opposition committee members.
"We decided to support the move by the Bukit Gelugor MP (Karpal Singh) and other MPs in not cooperating with the committee because of its inconsistency," he told reporters at the Parliament lobby.
Anwar also said the withdrawal of the opposition committee members was also because of their disagreement with the suspension of Gobind Singh Deo (DAP-Puchong) from the Dewan Rakyat for one year without having been given a chance to defend himself.
Fong Po Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah), Lim Lip Eng (DAP-Segambut), Fong Kui Lun (DAP-Bukit Bintang) and N.Gobalakrishnan (PKR-Padang Serai) have withdrawn as witnesses who were to have appeared before the committee. Karpal Singh has also declined to come before the committee.
Meanwhile, Dr Kiandee said three people gave their testimony before the committee today. They were Karpal Singh's special assistant Michael Cornelius and two parliament security guards Nurul Shida Kamarudin and Rahmah Idrus.
He said the meeting went ahead as there was sufficient quorum.
"We have not arrived at a decision. There is another meeting tomorrow. We will decide whether to call witnesses or make a decision," he said.

tunku : when the government don't invite them, they says that there is no transparency , justice bla bla bla and when the government invites them to sit together in the panel, the says no consistency bla bla bla. what moron and pathethic type of opposition we have in malaysia. they are wasting time.don't bother to include them next time till they behave properly.karpal also declined to cooperate and come before the committee so it is best for the committee to stop the probe and to hell with karpal.