by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Penang on Thursday, February 1, 1990:
DAP welcomes the statement by the Speaker that Parliamentary could move a motion to remove Vijandran as Deputy Speaker without waiting for outcome of court case
I welcome the statement by the Speaker of Parliamentary, Tan Sri Zahir Ismail, yesterday that the Dewan Rakyat could by wat of a motion remove D.I. Vijandran as Deputy Speaker without waiting for the outcome of any court case, as the parliamentary powers were not connected with the court.
Similarly, the Vijandran pornographic videotape scandal could be referred to the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges for a full investigation without waiting for the outcome of the defamation suit filled by Vijandran against Karpal Singh.
In fact, this would have been the proper thing for the Dewan Rakyat to do when the Vijandran pornographic videotape scandal was first brought up in the December meeting of Parliamentary.
Unfortunately, the Barisan Nasional Ministers and MPs failed their parliamentary duties and responsibilities in blocking and sabotaging the DAP motion to refer the Vijandran pornographic videotape scandal to the Committee of Privileges. UMNO Ministers like Education Minister, Anwar Ibrahim and the Foreign Minister, Abu Hassan, even helped Vijandran to expel Karpal Singh and P.Patto from Dewan Rakyat for trying to raise the Vijandran pornographic videotape scandal.
What is the purpose of having a Parliamentary Committee of Privileges when it is not even investigation into the Vijandran pornographic videotape scandal?
The question can rightly be raised as to what is the use of having a Parliamentary Committee of Privileges if it is not even investigating into the Vijandran pornographic videotape scandal, which has done so much damage to the reputation, standing and honour of Parliament.
The Parliamentary Committee of Privileges, which is headed by the Speaker himself, will prove to be utterly irrelevant and redundant if on such a important matter affecting the privileges, dignity and reputation of parliament, it is doing absolutely nothing.
Or is the Parliamentary Committee of privileges only meant to sit in judgement over DAP MPs, as has happened in the past, when the Parliamentary Privileges Committees investigated into alleged breaches of privilege by DAP NMP for Sandakan, Fung Ket Wing.
The Malaysian Parliamentary would be the laughing stock of the Commonwealth Parliaments if the Privileges Committee continues to do nothing about the Vijandran pornographic videotape scandal and allow D.P. Vijandran to hold the post of Deputy Speaker although on indefinite long leave.
The whole purpose of having a Deputy Speaker is to help in presiding at Dewan Rakyat sittings when Parliamentary is in session. If Vijandran is to be on leave when Parliament is meeting, then it serves no purpose whatsoever in continuing to keep Vijandran as Deputy Speaker.
In fact, Parliament would be put in a very bad light when MIC could terminate Vijandran’s Secretary-General post, and yet Parliament continues to keep Vijandran as Deputy Speaker.
Offer to Government to move motion to remove Vijandran as Deputy Speaker and refer him to Parliamentary Committee of Privileges.
The DAP does not want to make the issue of Vijandran’s removal as the Deputy Speaker as a political party issue. It should be seems as a purely parliamentary issue, in order to protect the dignity, standing and honour of Parliament.
For this reason, the DAP will be fully prepared to allow the Government to move such a motion to remove Vijandran as Deputy Speaker. I hope the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, would be able to indicate as to whether the government is prepared to move such a motion to remove Vijandran as Deputy Speaker when Dewan Rakyat is officially opened by the Yang di Pertuan Agong on February 26 and to refer the Vijandran pornographic videotape scandal to the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges.