KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, chairman of the government's Backbenchers' Club has called on the Dewan Rakyat Speaker to initiate an investigation into an allegation made by a Member of Parliament who claimed that he was coerced into rectifying a statement given in Parliament.
Ayer Hitam MP Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong yesterday spoke against a threat levelled at him following his statement on the import of eggs from India in Dewan Rakyat last month.
During his debate at the committee level for the 2023 Supply Bill, Wee revealed that he received a call from an individual named Deepak, claiming to be from J&E Advance Tech Sdn Bhd, who demanded that he retract his statement on the issue.
Wee added that the individual also claimed that the company had discussed the matter with the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
Subsequently, it was agreed that Wee would address the matter by issuing a statement during Parliament proceedings, aimed at resolving any alleged disagreements stemming from his previous remarks.
Commenting on this, Johari said Wee's statement yesterday raised alarm bells on multiple levels which the Speaker must immediately act on since it affected the sanctity of proceedings in Parliament and an MPs' ability to discharge their duties.
"Firstly, an MP cannot be pressured by any party into making any sort of statement involuntarily," he said, noting that such pressure might even give rise to a potential criminal offence.
"Secondly, no public officer or businessman should enter into any arrangement designed to put pressure on any MP to do or say anything," he added.
Johari further said the caller's claim that the matter had been discussed with the PMO could be regarded as unlawful encroachment by the executive into Parliament.
"It may also be tantamount to a breach of discipline of a public servant. Parliament is duty-bound to investigate this matter and see to it that necessary action is taken."
Following the allegations, the PMO said it took accusations of misrepresentation seriously, as they could damage both its credibility and that of the government.
The PMO added that it was prepared to pursue legal action against any individuals implicated in misrepresenting its position.
Meanwhile, Wee told a news portal that he believed certain parties were attempting to intimidate him.
"Personally, I am certain Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has nothing to do with this as we have spoken on this matter, and it is a case of someone using the PMO's name.
"There is nothing wrong in me raising the issue in Parliament. I am just doing my job. Parliamentary immunity must be respected."
J&E, which claims to be the exclusive importer of eggs from India, has served two letters of demand to Wee in response to comments he made about the imports.
The first letter, sent to Wee on Feb 23, stated that the company had suffered financial losses and damage to its reputation due to what it described as Wee's "unwarranted statements".
The second letter, sent by the company's legal representative, asserted that Wee's comments had caused consumer confusion about the quality of the eggs, indirectly impacting J&E's business operations.
Wee had posted on Facebook on Jan 9 that eggs from India could take between three and four weeks to arrive at Port Klang via sea transportation.
He has frequently raised concerns regarding the availability of eggs in the country in Parliament.