KUALA LUMPUR: Dewan Rakyat speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun today told the Lower House that all members of parliament have the right to attend the sitting without having to obtain his permission.
However, in the case of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak (BN-Pekan), who was recently sent to jail after he was found guilty of multiple corruption charges, Azhar said he did not possess the power to ensure Najib's presence in the House.
"All MPs have the right to enter Parliament. No need to get my permission. About Pekan MP's attendance, it is not under my authority.
"I don't have the power to allow him to either attend or not attend (Dewan Rakyat sitting).
"If he is attending, then he does not need my permission to enter the Dewan Rakyat. But, the question is, can he attend?
"This is not within my authority because he is not in my custody. The one who has his custody is the Prisons Department," he said.
Azhar said Najib's attendance would be up to the Prisons Department on whether to allow the Pekan MP to enter the Parliament.
"Based on my understanding, if the Prisons Department wants to release him from custody, then they will provide the release conditions."
When asked by Khalid Samad (PH-Shah Alam) when Najib would lose his status as an MP, Azhar said this would happen if Najib's request for a pardon was rejected.
Earlier, Hanipa Maidin (PH-Sepang) had questioned Najib's absence from the Dewan Rakyat. Hanipa said since Najib was still an MP, the latter should enter Parliament.
"But I would like to put a condition that he must be handcuffed, but he can wear clothes like the rest of us. We want to see how MPs come to Parliament in handcuffs," he said.