By Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Friday, November 1, 1991:
The root cause of the disorder in Parliament is Ong Tee Kiat because of his refusal to observe the conventions that a Speaker or Deputy Speaker should keep a distance from the political tray in order to maintain the respect of all MPs in his fairness and impartiality.
The press conference statement by the Deputy Speaker, Ong Tee Kiat yesterday, is the latest example why he had become the source of disorders in the Dewan Rakyat.
The root cause of the disorder in Parliament is Ong Tee Kiat because of his refusal to observe the conventions that a Speaker or Deputy Speaker should keep a distance from the political tray in order to maintain the respect of all MPs in his fairness and impartiality when presiding over the proceedings of the House.
Regardless of whether it is Ong Tee Kiat or any other person from any other party, a Speaker or Deputy Speaker who actively involves himself in partisan politics will drag his office into the cauldron of partisan controversy resulting in his failure to command the respect from all MPs, and instead of being able to ensure order and smooth conduct of Parliamentary proceedings, he had become the centre of discord and disorder whenever he takes the Chair in Parliament.
It is very sad that Ong Tee Kiat has refused to accept this important convention for a Speaker or Deputy Speaker, and insists on his right to be actively involved in the political tray and partisan controversies while holding the office of Deputy Speaker. He has brought the office of Deputy Speaker into disrepute because of his refusal and failure to make a clear distinction between his position as Deputy Speaker and his position in the MCA.
It is no use Ong Tee Kiat claiming one thousand times that he could be actively involved in the political tray and partisan controversies outside the House, but would be scrupulously fair and impartial when he sits as Deputy Speaker.
A Speaker or Deputy Speaker must not only be fair and impartial but be seen to be fair and impartial. Ong Tee Kiat is neither.
His conduct of Parliamentary meetings had shown that he had allowed his personal bias and party
vendetta against the DAP to colour and influence his decisions fro the Chair, whether in refusing to call DAP MPs to speak, or in putting all forms of obstacles to obstruct DAP MPs from speaking or raising matters in Parliament.
The disorder in Parliament last Tuesday erupted because of his bias and prejudice in going against established precedents in the House, wanting me to withdraw the word’ pembohong’ used against the MCA, which had been ruled as permissible by previous Speakers if used against political parties and not other MPs, and then compounding his bias and prejudice by abusing his powers by ordering me out of the House.
The disorder in Parliament last Wednesday erupted because he tired to prevent me from raising a matter of privilege, even prejudging before I had submitted my argument as to why I was raising a matter of privilege.
His press conference statement yesterday, continuing to abuse his powers as Deputy Speaker by making unfounded allegations against the DAP MPs outside the House, is the latest example of his pursuing his vendetta against the DAP from the office of Deputy Speaker.
Ong Tee Kiat should know that he would not be allowed to continue to abuse his office and powers as Deputy Speaker, including his unwarranted and unfounded allegations in his press conference statement yesterday.
DAP does not want the Dewan Rakyat to continue to be disrupted because of the refusal of Ong Tee Kiat to observe the conventions attached to the office of Deputy Speaker to ensure that instead of ensuring order in the House, he has become the source of disordering the House.
I am prepared to discuss the matter with the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed so that order and respect for the office of Deputy Speaker can be restored in the Dewan Rakyat.