Statements based only on media reports, social media cannot be discussed in Dewan Rakyat

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Mohamad Ariff Md Yusoff has ruled that any statements based solely on media reports and social media postings shall not be discussed in the August House.

The Dewan Rakyat speaker made this ruling following a ruckus that erupted in the House after opposition leader Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob (BN-Bera) brought to attention a blog posting by Raja Petra Kamarudin on Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng.

The post alleged that Lim was among five individuals involved in corrupt practices involving the Penang undersea tunnel project.

This caused the House to turn chaotic, with R. S. N. Rayer (PH-Jelutong) demanding that Ismail retract his statement and challenged the Umno vice-president to repeat his comments outside the Dewan, leading to Mohamad Ariff making the ruling.

“I have made my ruling. Anything that is based on a media report or social media posting, without being backed by solid facts, shall not be raised in this Dewan.

“And this ruling must be adhered to. Issues like this must not be raised unless there is solid evidence,“ he said before asking Ismail to proceed with another topic.

However, Rayer was not pleased that the speaker had allowed Ismail to proceed without retracting his comments.

Datuk Seri Ismail Mohamed Said (BN-Kuala Krau) said Ismail was merely seeking an explanation from Lim, and that Lim would have his chance to respond to it when it was his turn to debate the Agong’s speech.