DoJ issues can be raised

Speaker: Issues related to civil lawsuit allowed to be discussed

ISSUES related to the civil lawsuit filed by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) on the 1MDB issue can be raised in Parliament – unless ruled otherwise.

Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia, clarifying his earlier stand barring any discussion on the grounds of sub judice, said he would decide “when the matter arises”.

“I cannot make a ruling now when the issue has not come up ... you cannot ask me to make a ruling on matters that have not been raised,” he said in reply to Gobind Singh Deo (DAP-Puchong).

Pandikar Amin stated that his sub judice ruling was only applicable to the 33 oral questions that were already submitted.

He said he wanted to avoid a situation of the Opposition accusing ministers of refusing to answer citing sub judice.

Yesterday, Gobind asked whether Pandikar Amin had already ruled that all matters related to DoJ were deemed sub judice as per the latter’s media conference last Thursday.

The MP, who is also the DAP legal head, also wanted to know whether the Speaker had indeed already ruled that the DoJ issue could not be discussed at the debate stage.

To this, Pandikar Amin said he could have “tersasul” (misspoke) when he addressed the media on the issue, clarifying that his ruling covered only the oral questions submitted and not on any debate. “I apologise for this,’’ he said. Gobind said he had no intention to “pin the Speaker down” on the issue but just wanted clarification.

On the walkout by many Opposition MPs on Budget Day, Pandikar Amin said he had been stressed over the issue.

“It is as if I was the one who ordered you out. Don’t play games with me. You may play games among yourselves but not with me,” he said.

It is as if I was the one who ordered you out. Don’t play games with me.

Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia