Debate on DoJ lawsuit will be on case to case basis

KUALA LUMPUR: There is no blanket ban on debating the civil lawsuit by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) against 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) in the Dewan Rakyat.
Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia said that he will make a ruling, on whether a certain statement or question during a debate is sub-judice, as and when it arises.
"I cannot make a ruling now when the issue has not come up. You cannot ask me to make a ruling on matters that have not been raised," he said when Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo raised a Point of Order to clarify his decision.
Gobind said Pandikar had made a decision in the Dewan on Oct 17 that it is sub-judice to answer the oral questions and motions that were related to the DoJ lawsuit.
"However outside the Dewan, the Speaker has spoken to the media stating that he cannot allow 'the debate' on the lawsuit. There was no ruling on 'debate' when the Speaker made the decision on the oral questions," he said.
Reprimanding Gobind for misinterpreting his statement, Pandikar said he spoke to the media and intended to explain about the 33 oral questions and motions submitted to the ministers to answer.
"But if I have mis-spoken when I was speaking to the media, I apologise for that. I may have mis-spoken and said the word 'debate' but I was referring to the oral questions," Pandikar clarified.
Gobind clarified that he had no intention to "pin the Speaker down" but just needed a clarification and decision.
"I can be soft but don't intimidate me," Pandikar said, visibly upset with the Point of Order raised by Gobind.
He also reprimanded members of the Opposition for staging a walkout from the Dewan during the tabling of Budget2017 last Friday.
"Yes, I was the one who said leave the Dewan if you (don't want to listen). I was pressed to chase you all out because of your behaviour but it seemed to me that the walkout was pre-planned," Pandikar said.
The Opposition MPs except for several PAS MPs carried placards stating "Who is MO1?" and walked out when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak was presenting the budget.