BUKIT Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh today showed the press a video of the constituency’s late MP, Karpal Singh, playing an audio recording in the Dewan Rakyat in 2009 as proof that the house has allowed it before.

The DAP lawmaker said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Takiyuddin Hassan should have checked his facts before accusing him of lying.

“I have no intention of confusing Parliament. He (Takiyuddin) should do his homework first to know the facts before making accusations,” Ramkarpal told a press conference at the Parliament building.

He was responding to Takiyuddin’s challenge to show proof that playbacks of audio recordings have been allowed in the Dewan Rakyat before, saying that Parliament had no record of anyone doing such things.

Ramkarpal had yesterday tried to play in the Dewan Rakyat a leaked audio clip, purportedly of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin planning to entice MPs to form a new government by rewarding them with positions.

Ramkarpal had been prevented from playing the clip by Deputy Speaker Azalina Othman Said. He said there was no rule in the Dewan Rakyat’s Standing Orders to prevent him from playing the clip, adding that his late father, Karpal, had done the same as Bukit Gelugor MP.

Ramkarpal today showed the press a video of Karpal arguing with then deputy speaker Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar in 2009 over playing a recording of a chief justice allegedly involved in bribery.

The recording was played but Wan Junaidi then said that he cannot “accept” it as part of Parliament’s records.

Yesterday, Ramkarpal had said he had wanted to play the clip to ask Muhyiddin, who is also Pagoh MP, to deny or confirm whether it was him speaking.

Muhyiddin was not in the house when Ramkarpal spoke yesterday.

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun earlier today defended the decision not allow the audio clip to be played, saying it did not fulfil the “best evidence” rule. – July 22, 2020.