Pakatan accuses BN of exploiting ‘brute majority’

Lim questioned the severity of the reaction towards Anwar’s claims. — file pic

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani - The Malaysian Insider
 
KUALA LUMPUR, April 22 — Lim Kit Siang attacked Barisan Nasional (BN) today for using what he called its “brute majority” to turn Parliament into the Roman Coliseum in order to persecute Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Together with his Pakatan Rakyat (PR) colleagues, he urged BN lawmakers to look into their conscience when deciding whether to refer the opposition leader to powerful Parliament’s Rights and Privileges Committee.
The DAP parliamentary leader also asked Parliament why Anwar’s claim that 1 Malaysia was linked to One Israel, was so “heinous.”
“This is dark day in Parliament. I am very saddened. What is so heinous about the accusation that 1 Malaysia is a carbon copy of One Israel? What is so big [about it]?
“If I say 1 Malaysia is [a] carbon copy of Malaysian Malaysia, then will I be referred to the committee? This is politically motivated through their brute majority” he said.
He was speaking during today’s special debate on whether Anwar should face disciplinary action under Standing Orders 18 (2) over his claim that the prime minister’s 1 Malaysia concept was linked to former Israeli prime minister, Ehud Barak’s One Israel campaign.
Lim claimed that the House was no longer a court of justice but gladiatorial arena.
“Parliament is like [the] Roman Coliseum and not a court of justice. They do not want to hear what is right but only the brute majority will decide. There has been an utter [and] complete interference in the separation of power because the Cabinet made their decision and everyone just follows.
“That is why we cannot allow brute majority [to decide]. Barisan Nasional must not be allowed brute majority. They are a rude majority, blind majority, stupid majority,” his attacks continued.
Lim then said that BN was being hypocritical, citing the case of Pasir Salak MP Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, who was not reprimanded by the House when he accused the DAP of allegedly selling state secrets to Hong Kong and Singapore.
He asked if the House was willing to take action against Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, who had back-tracked from an earlier statement that APCO Worldwide had arranged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s meeting with US President Barack Obama.