PENDANG lawmaker Awang Solahuddin Hashim was thrown out of the chamber today after he repeatedly interrupted Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli.

Speaker Johari Abdul told the Perikatan Nasional lawmaker to stop, ordered him out and told him he would be barred for two days.

“You are barred for two days. Please leave now,” he told Awang, who resisted initially but yielded in the end.

As there is no meeting on Friday, Awang will return to the lower house on Monday.

At the height of the exchange between them, Rafizi told Awang he should target another minister if he wanted to be a “clown”.

“Pendang (referring to Awang) if you want to be a clown, find another minister who is speaking, not during my time. I have important things to say here,” he said while replying to points raised during the Budget 2023 debate today.

Awang shot back that Rafizi’s reply was riddled with malicious intent towards the opposition.

Seeing the Pendang lawmaker’s refusal to move an angry Johari shouted to Awang to leave the chamber.

“I am resting you for two days, get out now. Today and tomorrow. I have said this many times, if the ministers don’t allow members to interject when they reply, members must comply,” he told the house.

To opposition protest that Rafizi had used unparliamentary language in calling Awang a clown, Johari ordered the Pandan MP to withdraw the word.

Rafizi obliged and withdrew the word. – March 8, 2023.