KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition MP Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee expressed his dissatisfaction with the Deputy Speaker for allegedly denying him the opportunity to invoke a Standing Order during the Dewan Rakyat session.
The Beluran MP claimed that he had risen before the voice vote to invoke Standing Orders 54 (1) and (2) in order to request that the Jurisdiction Immunities For Foreign State Bill 2023 be referred to a Select Committee for further review before it was passed.
“I stood up prior to the voice vote, but I was not given the opportunity by the Speaker,” he remarked to Deputy Speaker Datuk Ramli Nor.
“It is acceptable if my motion was rejected, but my rights cannot be denied,” he added.
Earlier, amidst the chaos preceding the passage of the Bill, Kiandee had attempted to invoke the Standing Order before Deputy Speaker Alice Lai.
“It felt as though I was invisible,” noted Kiandee, who has previous experience as a speaker.
The Opposition contended that the Bill should undergo further scrutiny in a Select Committee, citing concerns about the excessive powers it granted to the Prime Minister as outlined in Clauses 30, 32, and 33 of the proposed Act.
Ramli clarified that the incident occurred before he assumed control of the session from Lai, and advised Kiandee to submit a motion under Standing Orders 43, 99, 99A, and 100.
“The decision had already been made by my predecessor. In accordance with the rules, the appropriate course of action for Your Honourable (Kiandee) is to submit a motion,” he explained.
