PARLIAMENT cannot debate the seizure of Petronas’ overseas assets by the Sulu Sultanate as it would expose the country’s strategies in countering the claims, said Azhar Azizan Harun.

“We will expose all our strategies if we discuss the case openly while it is still being litigated,” the Dewan Rakyat Speaker told Parliament today.

Azhar, a former lawyer, said that if he allowed Parliament to debate the issue on Monday, the government would be exposed to more criticism and this in turn would be used by the other side in the case.

“The first rule of litigation is surprise. If we talk about defending our sovereign rights, discussing it here will also allow criticisms of how it was handled.

“It is my responsibility not to allow that,” said Azhar.

The Speaker was responding to Mohamed Hanipa Maidin (Sepang-PH) who again questioned Azhar’s rationale for not allowing any debates or discussions on the Sulu issue.

Prior to Hanipa’s question, Azhar had similarly denied Awang Husaini Sahari’s (Putatan-PH) motion to reopen the issue on a technicality.

“Your motion, which was filed under Standing Order 18(2), is to debate and ask the government to respond. But this is not the purpose of SO 18(2).

“You can only discuss under SO 18(2), not debate. If you want the government to respond, you should file it as a question to the government,” said Azhar.

On Monday, Sabah MP Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis (Kota Belud-Warisan) was booted out by deputy speaker Rashid Hasnon after Parliament was disrupted following Azhar’s refusal to let it debate the Sulu issue.

Led by Isnaraissah who took Azhar to task for rejecting the motion, various MPs from Pakatan Harapan also questioned the Speaker’s decision to rule the topic off-limits on grounds of sub judice.

Azhar appeared to lose his cool as Isnaraissah kept interrupting him, and left the chair to allow Rashid to take over the proceedings. The Batu Pahat MP then suspended Isnaraissah for two days and ordered her to leave the chambers, prompting a standoff between opposition MPs and Parliament staff. - July 20, 2022.