KUALA LUMPUR: Members of parliament (MP) have been reminded to comply with the code of ethics when house is in session due to it being aired live.
Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Datuk Ramli Mohd Nor told the MPs not to use insulting or unparliamentary terms after a war of words occured between Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim (PN-Arau) with RSN Rayer (PH-Jelutong).
During the Royal Address debate, Shahidan mentioned that DAP supported corruption as it was now part of a unity government comprising a political party linked to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal.
Rayer interjected, ordering Shahidan to retract his statement: "I do not want to repeat this, but Arau is not respecting the house's rule."
Shahidan refused to retract his statement and said he could provide evidence that the political party supported corruption by citing Lim Guan Eng's (PH-Bagan) undersea tunnel corruption case.
"If you say DAP does not support corruption, should I prove (it) one by one, starting with Bagan? DAP is a corruption supporter.
"They were also against the 1MDB, but why are they so quiet now?" said Shahidan.
In response, Rayer lashed back, saying former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was in jail because of Pakatan Harapan (PH).
"When PH became the government, we made sure justice prevailed, and the former Pekan MP was then jailed.
"So the statement saying we support 1MDB is factually wrong. You were the opposition at that time."
The ongoing verbal clash prompted Ramli to issue a warning and reprimand Shahidan, saying it violated the rule in parliamentary standing orders. Shahidan was seen unfazed.
"I would like to remind you that this is being aired live. Where is our ethics as the people's representatives? The people are watching," he said, followed by Shahidan's retraction of his statement.