KUALA LUMPUR: Chaos reigned when parliamentary opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin quoted an Italian news agency as saying Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was Malaysia's first "full-blown homosexual" prime minister.
Several Pakatan Harapan members of parliament took offence and began shouting their disproval.
They demanded that Hamzah retract his statement.
Lim Guan Eng (PH-Bagan) accused Hamzah of bringing the house into disrepute by making personal attacks against the prime minister.
He said Hamzah's reference to the report by the Italian agency, which he described as an "unknown news outlet", was nothing more than slander.
However, Hamzah shouted back that they should wait for him to finish his statement first.
Hamzah was referring to an article published by little-known Italian agency Agenzia Nova bearing the headline "First full-blown homosexual elected prime minister in an Islamic country" on Nov 24, the day Anwar was sworn in as Malaysia's 10th prime minister.
The Larut MP then said that the article was clearly insulting of Anwar, adding that the government should take action against the agency.
"The government is responsible for informing the world that Tambun (Anwar) was pardoned by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
"Tambun must take action against external agencies, not just those in this country. We don't want to be seen as a mere 'jaguh kampung'," he said in his debate on the motion of confidence on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Meanwhile, he described the motion of confidence as nothing more than a gimmick.
Hamzah said there was no reason for Anwar to table the motion since the parties involved in the unity government had already signed a memorandum of understanding.
"This motion raises more questions. Does the motion question the authority and decision made by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or is it because the government formed is a minority government?
"Congratulations Tambun who was sworn in as prime minister on Nov 24, even though according to Tambun's own statement, YB Pagoh Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had in the first round obtained majority support to be appointed as the prime minister," he said.
Hamzah claimed that the MoU signed between the political parties in the government would restrict and harm parliamentary democracy.
He said the effects of the provisions from the agreement swayed all MPs from PH, Barisan Nasional (BN), Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and Parti Warisan (Warisan) to vote in Anwar's favour.
"This contradicts the principle of parliamentary democracy guaranteed by the Malaysian Constitution and its laws. It conflicts with the Federal Constitution and public policy, invalid and not permitted by law.
"Is this the democracy that the Tambun is chanting about?
"Tambun does not need to be afraid of his own shadow to the point of being willing to violate the principles of his own struggle," he said.
Hamzah in his debate also dismissed allegations that PN had received political funding from gambling companies for its 15th General Election campaigns.
"Yang Berhormat Tambun, you are now the prime minister and are no longer the opposition leader. I am the opposition leader. Don't create fake news," he said.