KUALA LUMPUR, JULY 10- A question from Gobind Singh Deo (DAP-Puchong) today on police inaction against Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi over the latter’s assault case in 2006 – mockingly posed to Zahid himself – triggered a 20-minute shouting match in the Parliament.
Speaker Pandikar Amin was forced to step in several times to control house decorum and finally ordered the house to cease from discussing the matter.
The incident took place when Gobind interjected the home minister’s winding up speech, the moment Zahid said the police would give 100% investigations to every of the police reports made.
Gobind pointed out that despite a police report lodged against Zahid by businessman Amir Bazli Abdullah over an accusation of assault, no investigation seems to be forthcoming.
He then said Zahid was not fit to be a minister and asked him to explain the matter. This sparked a number of BN backbenchers to stand up and shouted: “this is not court, you are not the judge”, “your statement is ill-intended”.
Pandikar then asked the house to maintain decorum while advising Gobind not to resort to personal attacks. In his reply, Gobind said he was not asking a personal question, rather he wanted to know why the police was not investigating Amir Bazli’s report.
To this, several BN parliamentarians launched a fresh round of broadside, saying: “This is Dewan Rakyat” ,“You think the house belongs to you?” Zahid had allegedly assaulted Amir in 2006 over the latter’s relationship with the minister’s married daughter then.
Presently Zahid is facing an ongoing civil suit but not any criminal action. Zahid: You are his lawyer Zahid said Gobind was abusing his position as an MP as he has a personal interest in the matter.
He pointed out that Gobind was Amir’s lawyer in the civil suit. This revelation prompted a round of jeering from the BN parliamentarians. “Because you have personal interest to defend the plaintiff, that’s why you abuse the house to hurl accusations against me.
“Investigation was completed that time, and there is a civil case pending,” he said. To this Gobind asked: “Then you answer the question: Did you assault him? Did you ever assault him?” A seemingly upset Zahid shouted: “If you want me to listen to you, then you have to listen to me!” Pandikar was forced to interject to end the tussle, ordering the house to cease from discussing the assault topic.
