PETALING Jaya Selatan MP Hee Loy Sian today filed suit against the Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia over his unlawful rejection of the MP’s questions on 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) in parliament.

Hee said Pandikar had refused to allow two questions he raised on 1MDB.

“I asked if the government had officially denied the claims made by the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) regarding the siphoning of funds from 1MDB.

“The second question was directed at the Home Minister, on when was the last time Low Taek Jho was in Malaysia and whether he had dual citizenship.

“The questions were rejected. But we have the right to ask questions and the Speaker has to answer,” he said after filing the suit at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.

Hee said he wants the court to summon the Speaker to answer all the questions on 1MDB asked by the MPs in the Dewan Rakyat.

Lawyer and fellow PKR MP N. Surendran said the Speaker’s refusal to take questions had prevented Hee from carrying out his duties as an MP.

“In order to ensure that his rights are upheld, he has brought the action suit against the Speaker.

“In the action by way of originating summons, Hee is asking that the act of the Speaker in rejecting the questions is (recognised as) unconstitutional.

“The Speaker cannot do as he pleases; he is bound by the constitution. When he rejected the questions, he breached the constitution,” he said

Surendran said even if the Speaker had authority in the chambers, he must abide by the constitution.

“The plaintiff in this case is Hee while the defendants are the Dewan Rakyat Speaker and Secretary.

The opposition’s efforts to get more answers from the government in the Dewan Rakyat on issues plaguing 1MDB were curtailed when Pandikar refused to accept more than 30 questions on the topic.

Pandikar has cited sub judice as grounds for his rejection.

He said he had rejected the questions on 1MDB because the civil forfeiture suits filed by the DoJ to seize billions of ringgit worth of assets allegedly bought with funds stolen from the state investor was ongoing. – August 2, 2017.