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The Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker should not wait long to decide if de facto law minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Nazri Abd Aziz should be referred to the Committee of Privileges for having misled the House on the status of former judges after the 1988 judicial crisis.
Karpal Singh (DAP – Bukit Gelugor) said that under the Parliamentary Standing Orders anyone who misleads the House is deemed to be in contempt of the House and may be referred to the committee for the offence. “Misleading the House is a very serious matter,” he said in a statement yesterday. Last week, Nazri had said in the House that former Lord President Tun Salleh Abas and two Supreme Court judges had not been sacked but asked to retire. Then on Thursday, he admitted his mistake to reporters at the Parliament lobby but refused to apologise for his mistake. Karpal Singh added that it was wrong for Nazri to make clarification in the lobby and not in the House. “Wan Junaidi should make his ruling on Monday, and I hope Nazri will be present,” he said. In another statement, Karpal Singh said he was “somewhat shocked” that the Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club (BBC) had said that none of its members would participate in the recently formed parliamentary caucus on the integrity and independence of the judiciary in which he is the chairman. The group had said this through a statement issued by its chairman Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing. “This is despite Datuk Seri Mohamad Nazri advising Barisan MPs to join in. “Obviously, the BBC has chosen to defy Nazri’s advice,” he said, adding that the caucus’ first meeting would be held next week. - THE STAR
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