COME Monday, all eyes will be on Penang legislative assembly Speaker Law Choo Kiang.

He is expected to explain why he has disallowed two Barisan Nasional motions seeking to compel the chief minister, civil servants and administrators to go on leave if they are charged with criminal offences.

“I will explain my decision in the house. I cannot comment now, out of respect for the standing orders and the reps. It will likely be on Monday,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

The assembly sitting starts tomorrow with the opening ceremony by the Penang governor, but is expected to adjourn after that and resume next Monday.

The motion targeting the chief minister was by opposition leader Jahara Hamid (BN-Teluk Air Tawar) while the other was by Muhammad Farid Saad (BN-Pulau Betong).

The motions put the speaker and the Pakatan Harapan administration on the spot. If allowed, it would put Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and the PH reps in an awkward position, raising questions how they would vote on the motions, which are not without merit.

Lim is facing a corruption trial over his bungalow purchased at a discounted price in 2014. BN has asked him to go on leave.

Now that the motions are not cleared to be tabled, the speaker, who is from PKR, must explain why he has rejected them and answer allegations that he is partial to PH.

BN lawmaker Farid said the decision may be up to the speaker but a state government “sincere in preaching CAT” (competency, accountability, transparency) should allow the motions to be tabled and debated.

“This has to do with the integrity of civil servants and administrators. The motion was to make it easier for other civil servants to be investigated.”

A PKR assemblyman, who declined to be named, told The Malaysian Insight that Umno “was smart”, as the motions had put PH “between a rock and a hard place”.

The chief minister, however, thinks the rejection could be due to his pending cases in court.

“If I am asked to explain at the assembly, there may be an issue of sub judice as the motions touch on the case. 

“As a lawyer, Jahara should know. If you are just arrested and not charged, that is different,” Lim told The Malaysian Insight.

Lim has been reluctant to comment on the rejected motions, saying that he was also facing a contempt of court charge for commenting on his own case.

 “I face double charges. They have practically thrown the whole kitchen sink at me to finish me off. I cannot say more. I will show the evidence in court. Let the speaker explain the rationale of his decision (in disallowing the BN motions).”

Lim also said there was no issue of the house taking sides or being unfair to any party.

“You cannot compare this with the Dewan Rakyat. There is no charge against Prime Minister Najib Razak. But even without a charge, you can’t discuss the 1MDB scandal in Dewan Rakyat,” said Lim, who is also Bagan MP.

He was referring to Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia’s decision last year to forbid MPs from debating the US Department of Justice’s civil suits seeking forfeiture of assets linked to the controversial 1Malaysia Development Berhad case.

Pandikar said debating it could be sub judice. His decision was objected by PH lawmakers.

Najib has repeatedly denied any allegation of wrongdoing in the 1MDB scandal. 

“In this case, there are charges. You cannot compare apples with oranges,” Lim said.

Lim was charged last year with corruption over the rezoning of two plots of agricultural land in Balik Pulau to residential use, which was said to benefit the owner Magnificent Emblem.

He faces a second charge over his purchase of a bungalow in Jalan Pinhorn for RM2.8 million, which was allegedly below the market price of RM4.27 million on July 28, last year from businesswoman Phang Li Koon. – May 18, 2017.