KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 4 — Twenty-three federal lawmakers have submitted a motion to refer Plantation Industries and Commodities Deputy Minister Willie Mongin to Parliament’s Rights and Privileges Committee over a lewd gesture in the House.
The DAP, PKR, Parti Amanah Negara, Parti Pejuang Tanah Air and independent MPs said they submitted the motion after Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun declined to rule on the Tuesday incident by citing a “sight problem”.
“We wish to confirm that on December 1, 2020, Yang Berhormat Willie Anak Mongin who is also the deputy plantation industries and commodities minister had displayed his middle finger two times at the other MPs in the Dewan Rakyat.
“This incident was witnessed by us bloc voting for the ministry’s budget allocation at the committee level was ongoing.
“We view his actions as vulgar, rude and insulting to the Dewan Rakyat,” the MPs said in a notice addressed to the Speaker.
They asserted the Puncak Borneo MP’s denial was false and his insistence on this was in effect misleading the Speaker and the House.
The lawmakers all offered to provide their individual account of the incident, before pressing for stern action against the deputy minister to protect the integrity of Parliament.
Among MPs who offered to be witnesses were DAP Kota Melaka MP Khoo Poay Tiong, DAP Batu Kawan MP Kasthuriraani Patto, DAP Jelutong MP RSN Rayer, DAP Muar MP Yeo Bee Yin, DAP Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming, DAP Kota Kinabalu MP Chan Foong Hin, PKR Ledang MP Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh, PKR Subang MP Wong Chen, PKR Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Amanah Hulu Langat MP Datuk Hasanuddin Mohd Yunus, Pejuang Kubang Pasu MP Datuk Amiruddin Hamzah and independent Simpang Renggam MP Maszlee Malik.
On Wednesday, the Speaker told MPs who were unhappy with Mongin’s alleged gesturing with his middle finger in Parliament to submit a formal complaint with the rights and privileges committee.
Azhar, who would not make ruling on the matter, said he was unable to do so due to a “sight problem” that he is facing at the moment.
Willie has since denied that he had shown his middle finger to the Opposition MPs across the aisle.