THREE DAP lawmakers have defended their statement demanding that Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia resign, following his refusal to allow an emergency motion on the 1Malaysia Development Bhd-linked luxury yacht Equanimity and questions related to the state investor be debated in Parliament.

Nga Kor Ming (DAP-Taiping) said they would not budge, despite the Barisan Nasional (BN) Backbenchers’ Club calling for the trio to be cited for being in contempt of Parliament.

“We are merely performing our duty by asking questions and filing a motion in Parliament, the highest legislative chamber in our country.

“I have asked many questions and filed motions in regards to 1MDB. Unfortunately, neither our questions nor the motions have been allowed; all have been rejected on so many occasions in the past three years,” he said at Parliament today.

Last week, Nga, Ngeh Koo Ham (DAP-Beruas) and V. Sivakumar (DAP-Batu Gajah) had asked Pandikar to resign after the speaker rejected the motion to debate the seizure of the Equanimity and 1MDB-related questions.

Pandikar turned down an emergency motion by Gooi Hsiao Leung (PKR-Alor Setar), which urged Prime Minister Najib Razak to explain why the government did not intend to claim the confiscated Equanimity luxury yacht.

The motion was rejected under Section 18(7)(c) of the Standing Orders, which allowed the speaker to refuse any motion presented to him if it contravened the Standing Orders.

Nga reminded the speaker that decisions in the Dewan Rakyat should not be made arbitrarily, and that he should be fair and just in his decisions.

“Today is a historical day, because the Swiss Parliament is debating a motion regarding 1MDB, at the same time that Malaysian Parliament has rejected our motions and questions.

“Don’t you feel that something is very wrong with the Malaysian Parliament?

“As such, we would like to reiterate (our demand) and urge the speaker to provide a platform for all MPs to seek the truth in regards to the 1MDB scandal,” he said, urging the speaker to protect the integrity of the Dewan Rakyat. – March 13, 2018.