KUALA LUMPUR: A heated argument broke out in the Dewan Rakyat today after a Pakatan Harapan (PH) lawmaker labelled Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim a child molester.
Seemingly unimpressed and infuriated by the remark, the Arau MP returned fire by calling DAP’s Pang Hok Liong (PH-Labis) a “bangsat” (scoundrel), which led to a shouting match.
Shahidan had earlier sought the Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof to remove a question by Pang on the order paper dated July 10, 2019, claiming the question was insulting the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
“Labis had asked for an explanation on how much the Agong is receiving as allowance each year and how much is being spent for the maintenance of the Istana Negara. This is against Section 36(7) of the Standing Order,” he said.
The section explains that the name of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, or any of the Rulers, shall not be used to influence the House.
“The Parliament should have revoked the question. How could the question be allowed in the order paper in the first place. I ask that the Parliament retract this question today, as it is an insult to the King,” Shahidan remarked.
At this point, Pang stood up and said: “At least I did not molest an underage girl.”
Shahidan immediately responded by saying: “Hey bangsat Labis.”
After minutes of words being exhanged between both benches, Mohamad Ariff eventually got both parties to retract their statements, before proceedings resumed.
While Pang did not elaborate on his comments, he was possibly referring to Shahidan’s previous court case in which he was charged with molesting a 15-year-old girl, said to be from a busker group he sponsored.
In April, the Umno man was given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal by the Kangar sessions court after the complainant withdrew the case.
