THE Dewan Rakyat Speaker’s move to jump the RUU355 bill to the top of the order paper today is “treason” as it ignores the Malay rulers’ rights to be consulted before Islamic laws are made, a former member of parliament said today.

Mohamed Tawfik Ismail also accused Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia of playing politics by ignoring the constitution, saying the decision to move the bill was “arrogance of the highest order”.

“Today is a sad day for Malaysians. Today, Parliament is dead and the nation is being driven down a dangerous path.

“The speaker plays politics disregarding the constitution and commits treason in ignoring the Conference of Rulers’ right to be consulted before promulgation of any laws that will divide us as a nation. 

“For the speaker to jump Hadi’s motion and place it No. 1 in the order paper is arrogance of the highest order. He wants to show power. He wants to show he can abuse power and there is nothing anyone can do about it. That much is clear,” Tawfik said in a short statement issued in Kuala Lumpur.

Tawfik said the proposed law would subvert “the dream of one united nation” by the “very people we voted for and trusted to wisely make laws to unite us as a nation”.

“Today, the speaker commits treason if he disregards the matters in the constitution we have brought to his attention. 

“Today, the people must rise to condemn the speaker if elected MPs cannot do that. 

“Today, we must stand together to protect the nation from the mischief of one man.

“Today, the people must rise to protect Parliament,” said Tawfik, whose father Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman was a former deputy prime minister. – April 6, 2017.