KUALA LUMPUR: Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia today said questions related to the United States Department of Justice's (DoJ) civil complaint on 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) should not be answered in the present sitting as it is tantamount to subjudice.
He said the issue is still a court matter and therefore, the minister involved (Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak) should not answer related questions.
Pandikar said he would instead give a written explanation on his decision today to those who had submitted questions on DoJ’s civil complaint.
"I have made my decision, unless there is a private motion (on the issue).
"I did not make the decision in haste, but it was made after taking into account the legal implications on the country involved.
"Whatever decision made in this sitting will also be known by those in other countries due the advancement of information technology," he said.
His decision however, was questioned by Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Gelang Patah) and Gobind Singh Deo (DAP-Puchong), who claimed that the proceedings were not in Malaysia and Pandikar's controversial ruling would set a precedent to similar cases in the future.
In his firm response, Pandikar said both DAP members of parliament should first read the written answer before making any allegations against him.
"We do not want to create a negative perception before the time comes for the minister involved to answer the questions," he said.