KOTA BARU: Opposition members of Parliament have the right to wear white ribbons on their left arms during the parliamentary sitting.
Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan it was up to the MPs what they wanted to wear on their arms.
"This is only my comment," he said, adding jokingly that he thought they were attending a Chinese celebration.
The deputy works minister said this at a press conference after opening the Kelantan Malaysian Malay Contractor Association's 47th annual general meeting here.
The opposition members wore the white ribbons as a sign of protest against Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul's decision not to vacate the seats of six Bersatu MPs who had been sacked from the party.
Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Datuk Ramli Md Nor had said earlier today that he saw no issue with opposition MPs wearing white ribbons on their left arms during the ongoing parliamentary sitting.
He said this when the matter was raised by Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan).
Ramlli said, so long as wearing the ribbons did not go against the parliamentary regulations, the opposition MPs could do so.
Last week, opposition bloc chief whip Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan had said all Perikatan Nasional MPs will wear white armbands during the parliamentary sitting this week.