KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 — Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal, has been suspended from Dewan Rakyat sessions for six months effective today, announced Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul.
The motion to suspend him from Dewan Rakyat proceedings and Parliamentary Special Select Committee meetings received 110 votes in favour and 63 against, with three MPs abstaining and 46 absent.
The motion was brought by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, following Wan Fayhsal’s referral to an anonymous letter in Parliament regarding the purported mastermind behind the takeover of Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB).
He made the reference on July 1 during the debate on the 2021 and 2022 Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam).
He disclosed the name of an individual mentioned in the anonymous letter as a staffer of the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).
While concluding the debate on the motion, Azalina said MPs must be responsible for their actions and refrain from casually referencing unverified documents such as anonymous letters.
“If we refer to valid documents, I believe the government will have no issues. A wrong is still a wrong. We shouldn’t use anonymous letters because it will open the floodgates and everyone in the House will use anonymous letters. We now also have SMS, and AI, there’s no knowing what’s true or false.
“Our responsibility is to make laws. If there’s an allegation of bullying by an EPF officer, go to Suhakam, make a police report, and ask the minister responsible for EPF,” she said.
Azalina added that if the Dewan Rakyat did not make a decision, it would set a poor precedent for both government and opposition MPs.
She said MPs are not above the law as they are elected by the people.
“If Machang (Wan Fayhsal) apologised, or said ‘I might be wrong, I received the letter, I don’t believe it but I want to verify its accuracy’, that’s not a problem. You qualify your statement. But… the matter went viral as if Parliament endorsed what Machang said,” she said.
— Bernama
