DEWAN Rakyat speaker Johari Abdul has rejected an emergency motion to debate the controversial littoral combat ship (LCS) project, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman said. 

The Muar lawmaker said that he was notified of the rejection to proceed with the motion via a letter from the speaker’s office. 

“Received a reply letter from the Dewan Rakyat, which is to state its rejection of this urgent motion and the reason given is this issue does not need to be urgent and does not concern the interest of the public,” the Muda president told a press conference today. 

Syed Saddiq submitted the motion last week. 

The MP refuted the reason given by the speaker, saying the issue is most definitely important, urgent and of public interest. 

“Since the contract was signed in 2011 and until today, not a single ship has been delivered and RM6 billion of the people’s money has been spent on this. 

“Furthermore, the total cost of the project also has been revised, whereby it has increased from RM9 billion to RM11 billion now. This is not a small amount we are talking about,” he said. 

Syed Saddiq said he will appeal for the request to be reconsidered. 

“I understand that according to rule 18 section 5, it mentions the decision cannot be raised again.  

“But with discretion, it can be brought to the Dewan Rakyat’s Special Chamber,” he said in parliament today.  

Meanwhile, Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Ramli Mohd Noor said Syed Saddiq should use the existing rulings to appeal the decision. 

Earlier, Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari said the ministry is always open to discussing the scandal. 

“Investigation can be carried out at any time, and the defence ministry will cooperate,” he said. – June 8, 2023.