ABDUL Azeez Abdul Rahim’s “conversation” with a wild elephant in fluent Tamil has drawn the ire of R.S.N. Rayer – who, finding the act insulting, asked the former to retract his remark, which then led to his ejection from the Dewan Rakyat.

Azeez said he had initially conversed with the animal in Thai before speaking in Tamil, when recounting his talk with the mammal before it was transported to Terengganu.

“I asked the elephant, ‘Why did you come here, sir? You came to our village from the jungle. Your presence here is cumbersome for you and the people here’,” said the Baling MP in Tamil.

Rayer then interjected and asked Azeez to retract his remarks as they are akin to “insulting the Tamil language”.

This led to a war of words between the two, as both refused to back down despite repeated calls by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun to calm down.

Citing the Standing Orders for insulting the house, Rayer said there are MPs and Malaysians who are Tamils.

“Are you going to allow Baling to insult Tamils by making the statement that he can speak to an elephant in Tamil? This is a stupid and rude statement.”

Azhar told Rayer to sit down, saying that people use different languages to speak.

“YB (Rayer) you are like an anger factory. You manufacture anger,” said the speaker.

However, the Jelutong MP pressed Azhar to order Azeez to retract the statement, to which the speaker said: “It is not insulting Tamil. It is his story.”

As Rayer refused to back down, Azhar then ordered him to leave the chambers for 10 minutes.

“YB Jelutong, I order you to stay out for 10 minutes. Sergeant-at-arms, please escort him.” – October 26, 2021.