KUALA LUMPUR: An opposition member of parliament demanded action against a minister for misleading the Dewan Rakyat over issues related to Datuk Seri Najib Razak's alleged house arrest addendum.
Opposition chief whip Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (PN-Kota Baru) said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said had misled the House when she said the Federal Territories Pardons Board fell under the purview of the Federal Territories Ministry.
He said the secretariat, in fact, fell under the purview of the Prime Minister's Department as a whole.
"According to Standing Order 36(12), we can refer the person who issued this (misleading) statement to the Rights and Privileges Committee of the House. I do not intend to pursue such a course of action," he said in Dewan Rakyat.
Takiyuddin said it was important for the House to ensure that Azalina clarifies the issue, reaffirming that the secretariat of the Pardons Board was under the Prime Minister's Department, not solely the Federal Territories Ministry.
"I submit this motion for the consideration of Yang Berhormat (Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul) to make a ruling on what should be done," he said.
Johari, however, advised Takiyuddin to write to him officially, outlining the specific points to be included in the motion and the intention behind it.
"I advise Kota Baru to write to me, quote what needs to be quoted, and mention the intention of Kota Baru in the motion, and I will process it from there," he said.
Previously, Azalina and Takiyuddin had traded barbs over the proposed bill related to house arrest and the alleged royal addendum related to Najib's pardon appeal on Nov 6.
It began when Takiyuddin asked Azalina on the justification and contents of the bill related to house arrest.
On Feb 1, the board decided to halve Najib's prison sentence from 12 to six years, and the fine was reduced from RM210 million to RM50 million.
Najib was sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined RM210 million after being found guilty of abuse of power, breach of trust and money laundering involving RM42 million from SRC International, a former subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Bhd.