DAP’s RSN Rayer: Ahmad Fayhsal's police report against PM Anwar overboard, irrelevant
KUALA LUMPUR, March 27 — DAP’s Jelutong MP RSN Rayer today said that Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal’s police report against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim regarding the Yayasan Albukhary’s tax exemption status is not relevant and in contempt of Parliament.
He said in accordance with Section 63 of the Federal Constitution, the prime minister is protected and what he mentioned in the Parliament should not be challenged outside of the House.
“If you remember, Deputy Speaker, last week on March 21, the Prime Minister gave an explanation in Parliament after a question asked by the Rasah MP (DAP Rasah MP Cha Kee Chin) — for the Prime Minister to verify that the Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng) did not revoke tax exemptions given to Yayasan Albukhary — at the time no MPs was against it, which meant that the explanation was accepted and it’s true.
“Two days later, Machang MP made a police report, on March 24 at the Dang Wangi police station, accusing the Prime Minister of making a false statement.
“The Machang MP... I’m not sure if he was present that day (during the Prime Minister Question Time) as he did not raise any queries or questions regarding the explanation given by the Prime Minister.
“Instead the Machang MP made a police report. This behaviour is overboard and too much. This is something that should be looked into seriously,” Rayer told Parliament today after Question Time.
He added that if Anwar did make a false statement or misled the Dewan Rakyat, Wan Ahmad Fayhsal should refer it to the Rights and Privileges Committee.
“Why didn’t he do that? Why did he instead make a police report?
“This is my question, to the Deputy Speaker. Don’t give room to the Machang MP to take the Dewan Rakyat proceedings lightly,” he said.
Section 63 (1) of the Federal Constitution reads, “the validity of any proceedings in either House of Parliament or any committee thereof shall not be questioned in any court” while 63 (2) reads “no person shall be liable to any proceedings in any court in respect of anything said or any vote given by him when taking part in any proceedings of either House of Parliament or any committee thereof.”
In response to Rayer’s request for clarification, Deputy Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Ramli Mohd Nor said the former raised a valid point.
“The Federal Constitution is the highest order, it accords immunity to each MP in the Dewan Rakyat, except if they are outside of the Dewan Rakyat, the MPs are subjected to civil law or civil suit.
“What was raised by the Jelutong MP is relevant,” he told the Parliament.
On Friday, Wan Ahmad Fayhsal who is also Bersatu Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) Youth chief lodged a police report and urged the police to probe the Prime Minister and Lim over Yayasan Albukhary’s tax exemption status.
He claimed that Anwar had knowingly misled the Dewan Rakyat by backing the Bagan MP and leaving out key details about the purported revocation of the Islamic charitable organisation’s tax exemption status when the latter was finance minister in the then Pakatan Harapan government.
