by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Tuesday, 23rd January 1990:
Why is Vijandran hanging on as Deputy Speaker when he cannot perform his duties as Deputy Speaker?
After repeatedly proclaiming that D.P.Vijandran will continue as MIC Secretary-General, the MIC President, Datuk Samy Vellu, has yesterday announced that Vijandran was taking indefinite leave of absence as MIC Secretary-General and MAIKA Holdings Chairman.
Right from the beginning, Datuk Samy Vellu said that the Vijandran pornographic videotape scandal was Vijandran’s personal problem. With the new development, is Datuk Samy Vellu now conceding that it has become a MIC political problem?
However, the public are not interested in the internal affairs of MIC, but are entitled to know why D.P.Vijandran is hanging on as Deputy Speaker of Parliament when he himself has publicly acknowledged that he could not perform his duties as Deputy Speaker, and why the Prime Minister and the Cabinet allow Vijandran to hang on to the post in these circumstances.
On the day that Vijandran submitted his indefinite leave of absence as Deputy Speaker on 19th January, the Speaker, Tan Sri Zahir Ismail said that the Deputy Speaker had duties to perform only when Parliament was in session. The Speaker approved an arrangement whereby Vijandran goes on leave as Deputy Speaker when Parliament is in session, and resumes his posts as Deputy Speaker when Parliament is not meeting.
It is clear that a Deputy Speaker who cannot perform his duties to preside at Parliamentary meetings should resign his post, rather than hanging on to the post. Parliament and the Malaysian people do not want to have a Deputy Speaker who is only good to be introduced to foreign visitors and attend international conferences as Deputy Speaker, but who cannot perform his duties to chair parliamentary meetings and have to go on leave every time Parliament meets.
Or should Parliament confer on D.P.Vijandran a new title as ‘Deputy Speaker when Parliament is not in session’ or ‘Deputy Speaker outside Parlaiment’?
For the honour, dignity and image of Parliament, Vijandran must step down as Deputy Speaker. If he would not resign voluntarily, then he must be removed by Parliament.
Open Invitation to UMNO, MCA, Gerakan and other BN MPs to co-sponsor a Parliamentary motion next month to remove Tan Sri Abu Talib as Attorney-General and D.P.Vijandran as Deputy Speaker and MP
I am issuing an open invitation to UMNO, MCA, Gerakan and other Barisan National MPs to co-sponsor a Parliamentary motion next month ro remove Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman as Attorney-General and D.P.Vijandran as Deputy Speaker and Member of Parliament.
The issues involved in the Vijandran pornographic videotape scandal is not just a party issue, nor a Government versus Opposition issue, but concerns the image, honour and dignity of Parliament, the office of Attorney-General, the integrity of Government and the good name and reputation of Malaysia in the international arena.
The Vijandran pornographic videotape scandal has developed from an issue which concerns the proper conduct of the Deputy Speaker to a second bigger one on the suitability of Tan Sri Abu Talib to hold the high office of Attorney-General, and then to a third and greater one on the more fundamental issue of the integrity of the Government and public confidence in the independence and impartiality of the administration of justice. Finally, at stake, is also the good name and image of Malaysia in the world.
Parliament’s image and standing have been gravely tarnished by the Vijandran pornographic videotape scandal, and only Members of Parliament themselves can redeem Parliament’s fallen image and public standing.
With D.P.Vijandran in the ridiculous position where he is on leave when Dewan Rakyat is meeting, and resuming his office as Deputy Speaker when Parliament is in adjournment, Members of Parliament can pretend as if nothing had happened or even that there ever was such a person as D.P.Vijandran! But this is not going to do credit to Parliament, and will only result in greater public contempt for the institution of Parliament and Members of Parliament.
The only honourable option available to Members of Parliament who take their Parliamentary responsibilities seriously is to address frontally all the issues raised by the Vijandran pornographic videotape scandal.
Parliament cannot behave like a giant ostrich hiding its head in the sand when it meets for three weeks from February 26, but must satisfy Malaysians that it is capable of seriously and responsibly dealing with the Vijandran issue.
I invite Barisan Nasional MPs, whether from UMNO, MCA, Gerakan and other component parties, to join in co-sponsoring a motion to remove Tan Sri Abu Talib as Atturney-General and D.P.Vijandran as Deputy Speaker and Member of Parliament. I invite them to contact me in the next three days if they are equally concerned about the urgent need to restore the image of Parliament which had been badly tarnished by the Vijandran pornographic videotape scandal, public confidence in the post of Attorney-General and the integrity of government, and most important of all, Malaysia’s good name and international image.