This is a Parliamentary WhoDun’It?
Who gave the directive to put up the barricade in Parliament on Tuesday to bar the reporters and photographers, leading to the 24-hour downing of tools and cameras by some 100 journalists boycotting all media conferences and events outside the debate in the parliamentary chamber?
The Speaker, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin said its not him. The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Nazri Aziz also said its not him. I believe both. Who then gave such a directive?
While this Parliamentary WhoDun’It awaits resolution, a parliamentary sideshow is being enacted.
The Malaysian Insider carried the following story, “Nazri dares backbenchers to get him sacked”, which was picked up by the print media, deepening the mystery as to who actually gave the directive to impose the barricades in Parliament treating journalists like “wild and dangerous beasts” who have to be caged and cabined!
Nazri dares backbenchers to get him sacked
KUALA LUMPUR, June 27 — Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz has upped the ante in his feud with the Barisan Nasional Back Benchers Club (BNBBC) over media curbs in Parliament, challenging them to get him sacked from the Cabinet.
“I am expecting the BBC to recommend to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to sack me as a minister,” said Nazri, who is minister in the Prime Minister’s Department and is in charge of parliament. The feud began when he accused the backbenchers for being childish and gangster-like for removing a security cordon that barred the media from the Parliament lobby last Tuesday.
The Parliament administration had placed the curbs and also restricted each media organisation to only five personnel for reporting duties, angering journalists and chief editors who decided to boycott events outside parliament business. Several BNBBC members removed the security cordon on Tuesday afternoon, persuading the media to stop their boycott.
“If they dare not do that on Monday, then shut up and don’t talk anymore,” Nazri said.
BNBBC chairman chairman Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing told reporters the backbenchers were insulted by Nazri’s remarks, particularly after they had checked with both Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia and Nazri about the barricade. Both claimed ignorance although Deputy Speaker Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar claimed it was a joint decision by the speaker and his two deputies.
Tiong disclosed that the BNBBC would meet on Monday for their next course of action as Nazri had gone overboard with his statements. The feud between Nazri and the BNBBC is another headache for embattled Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who is facing almost daily calls to quit and a threatened no confidence vote by two BN lawmakers from Sabah.
The New Straits Times today carried this report:
Nazri challenges BN backbenchers club to have him sacked
By V. Vasudevan
2008/06/28KUALA LUMPUR: Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz has challenged the Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club (BNBBC) to get him sacked from the cabinet. This is Nazri’s latest salvo at the BNBBC which is meeting on Monday to decide on its next course of action against Nazri, who had described the club as being “childish and gangster-like” when it removed barricades put up by parliament security in the Dewan Rakyat lobby last Tuesday.
“I am expecting the BNBBC to recommend to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to sack me as a minister. If not, they should just shut up,” said Nazri, who is still peeved over last Tuesday’s events when contacted by phone yesterday.
Nazri said the BNBBC’s behaviour on Tuesday was unacceptable. The security cordon was to restrict access to the Dewan Rakyat lobby and had resulted in a media boycott of all lobby activities such as press conferences and interviews.
Nazri said the BNBBC should not have felt inferior to the opposition, which had championed the media’s rights in the house.
“Look at the opposition, they raised it in the chamber and then they took it up with the speaker in his office.
“If they felt they were bested in the issue by the opposition, who is to be faulted here?”
Nazri said the behaviour of the BNBBC was unacceptable as both deputy speakers had already indicated in the house that the decision to cordon off the lobby from the press would be reviewed by the speaker.
“Against this assurance, they went and did what they did without any regard for procedure.”
The BNBCC, like their opposition counterparts, felt peeved with the barricades and decided to remove it themselves.
“Nobody seemed to know whose instruction it was to put up the barriers. We checked with everyone and all said they did not know. So we decided to remove them,” BNBBC chairman Datuk Tiong King Sing had said.
Nazri’s outburst at the BNBBC yesterday is a follow-up to his comments on Wednesday where he chided the club for removing the barricades.
“Don’t think just because you are with the BNBBC you can do what you like. Is this a gangster club? They should know their place in the house where the power is with the speaker,” he said
He warned the backbenchers not to resort to such actions again, saying the incident “embarrassed me”.
On Thursday, Tiong said the BNBBC would meet on Monday to decide on action against Nazri.
Nothing will come out of this confrontation. Abdullah will tell them to move and forget the incident.
Anyway Nazri need not fret. When Pakatan takes over the government, he will be sacked.
how is it posible for AAB to sack his own dog?..laugh my @ss out…
I think Nazri Aziz made the suggestion and Pandikar Amin gave consent to go ahead with the barricade.
BNBBC should not waste time on Monday to decide on action against Nazri Aziz over such a trivial issue. They not should waste tax payers’ money but concentrate on important things that they need to do.
Head of Administration Parliament issued faxed Notice of 20th June that only five reporters from the print media were allowed to be in parliament at any one time due to security reasons. It would be expected that he took directions from either Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin or ‘somebody higher up’.
Well the Speaker is ostensibly chief officer of Parliament with authority and power to direct Parliamentary head of administration.
Deputy Speaker Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Ja’afar also told YB Kit that the decision to remove the Press from the lobby was reached by a consensus of himself, Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia and Deputy Speaker Ronald Kiandee. And the Speaker himself Tan Sri Pandikar Amin was on record defending the decision to restrict the number of media personnel covering parliament proceedings to five, citing “security reason”. He said the Parliamentary lobby was not the place for these kinds of demonstrations and warned that he would do something about it. Besides there is something about what he said is not consistent. He was quoted to have also claimed that media agencies were not instructed to limit their representation in Parliament, and that letters had been sent to editors merely to seek their views on the matter. This is not what the faxed Notice of 20th June issued by Head of Administration Parliament said.
So did the Speaker really say it was not him? After all he defended the decision but in aftermath of the brouhaha about it, seemed to explain the notice in manner that the notice did not say, and he seemed taking responsibility entirely for it.
Which raises the further question who directed him & therefore ultimately responsible???
The proper person to whom question “WhoDun’It?” should be addressed is therefore Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin.
Well Minister in Charge of Parliament Datuk Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz clarified that “I am the intermediary between the Executive and Legislature. I am not involved in this.”
If you believe Nazri who else other than him of ministerial authority that the Speaker would take directive?
Which in turns raises the question who had a personal interest in the parliamentary motions to be debated on Monday 23rd June that whatever the outcome were better not given extensive reportage by too many reporters?
If Sherlock Holmes were to examine motives he would enquire what were the earth shaking motions to be potentially debated on Monday 23rd June.
Parliamentary records would show that there was a motion by Shahrir seeking support for the government’s measures over food, oil and commodities price increases to counter the petrol hike which was supposedly a potential opportunity for an indirect no confidence vote to be passed. The other was supposedly to be moved by Kit under S.O. 18 to discuss a definite matter of urgent public importance – RPK’s allegations.
But why are we so concerned about “WhoDun’It?”
It is not that big an issue in the larger scheme of things where there is lack of acountability overt many things, isn’t it??? :)
A typical Malaysian political situation.
No one’s responsible.
The press made mistake.
No one’s going to admit he’s wrong.
Everyone is happy, everyone forget it.
.Oops “…and he seemed NOT taking responsibility entirely for it…”
That “Minister for table & chairs” has a very deep complex, wants to be noticed and don’t want to be embarrassed. His days are numbered anyway, that’s all he can do – take care of tables and chairs now barricades!
The reason for the barricade is to prevent reporters a free hand on the issue surrounding RPK’s allegations.
who are the one who physically setup up the barrier. follow the trail to find out.. but for what?
Shiok Guy
It just boils down to this: Whoever did it, whoever issued instructions to have the barricade set up, was just not ‘jantan’ enough to admit it. Don’t we already know who? :D
Anything is possible under the current regime as long as absolute power corrupts obsolutely….let pak lah read about this PM who is not a hadhari man…http://1426.blogspot.com/2008/06/why-do-we-love-our-prime-minister-so.html
First, Nazri said he had nothing to with setting up the barricade. But when the barricades were removed he barked at the perpetrators! Like a child who built a sandcastle on the beach and gets livid when someone destroys it.
citizenwatch is sharp. Lim Kit Siang is either sarcastic or playing dum..
Nazri is always a trouble maker…trying to get attentions.
Tan Sri Pandikar Amin has to be reminded that genuine gangsters do know a lot of what is going on, especially the underworld. Does he want to know more ? Anyway, being a democratic country, the journalists have to let the public knows what is going on inside the Parliament. Somebody did issue that stupid directive. It cannot be a ghost, can it ?
The leader of the pack the PM himself is already a proven liar( no disolution of parliment, ect) so the pack has to follow with lies.The who dun’it another ploy to mislead/deflect the rakyat’s attention over the imediate earth shattering issues of price increases and the sick BN
WE ARE SO PROUD OF OUR “FIRST WORLD” LAW MAKERS WHO SUFFER FROM MEMORY LAPSES, SKEWED THOUGHT AND COGNITIVE PROCESSES AND INFANTILITY.
FOR GOODNESS SAKE WHAT ARE THESE CLOWNS GOING TO DO NEXT!!!!!!!!
I sure don’t know what these clown are going to do next catharsis, BUT I do know what I am going to do next, VOTE the clowns out!!!
I thought we have significantly more serious issues than this ?
I suspect the PM gave N the order, otherwise why is N so confidence that the PM will side him. After all he is the “Minister of Parliament” appointed by PM. Who can touch him. My question: why the PM tried to avoid the press? Because of RPK’s SD?
Were they expecting terrorists to come and blow up Parliament House??
The sight of barricades around the symbol of democracy such as the Parliament House which stands for the ideals of freedom, equality and justice for all, surely as everyone knows, does not go down well with the media – especially the international media. If the purpose is to restrict the media’s access, then it is adding insult to injury.
I think someone has lost his marbles!
GODFATHER CARE TOP DEFINE YOUR “SERIOUS ISSUES” IF VOTING THE CLOWNS OUT IS NOTA SERIOUS ISSUE
CHEERS
I’ll put my money on Nazri the kumpung samseng being the culprit. From the way he reacted, challenging everyone to a fistfight. I’ll be careful if I were him. Datuk Tiong had a lot of experience dealing with gansters in Sarawak so one more like him will not impress Tiong. He’ll give Nazri a bloody nose and a few kicks in the balls too.
This simple issue shows what a bunch of no-brainers we have in the BN.
When there are more pressing issues to be table ,This bunch of clowns are talking about this….
Nazri should come out again and reassert his challenge to the BBC to get him sacked from Cabinet. He should not hide behind Najis just because the latter asked both sides to stop this.
This clown was trying to be smart with the cordoning move, and it backfired badly on him. He can say what he wants to the BBC MPs but he continues to himself up to be a pathetic idiot.
correction: “continues to show himself up” …
um…someone obviously order to do so…that day, a lot of people suspect the Sabah Yong would table a special motion. In order not to be caught red, someone order it. Who is it? Ha ha….I think you all know by now
Who let the dogs out, who, who, who, who lol
catharsis:
You seriously think that finding out whodunit is going to get rid of BN ? Are you a primary school-kid or what ?
semua orang didunia bodoh ,kecuali satu orang!
seseorang yang suka kata orang bodoh,sebenarnya dia yang amat bodoh sekali!
layar YOUTUBE:malaysia parliament’s bodoh statement by nazri
GODFATHER, GROW UP AND STOP PUTTING WORDS INTO MY MOUTH
An assassination triggered a world war.
And I certainly hope that the barricade could trigger the downfall of BN.
Imagine this in our history book: “BN barricaded from Parliament House.”
WOW!
If BBC or .. well, let’s say Anybody that proposes Nazri to get sacked, I will be the first one to give my support.