KUCHING: Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen has hit out at Speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun’s rejection of the motion to discuss the seizure of Petronas’ subsidiaries by the Sulu sultanate’s descendants on the grounds of sub judice as ‘absurd’ and ‘ridiculous’.
He pointed out that the matter is in litigation in a foreign court in France which is not within Malaysia’s judiciary system.
In this case, he said, the basis of the sub judice doctrine that the debate in Parliament may affect a judicial process is too remote and far-fetched.
“How can a debate in the Malaysian Parliament affect the minds of the judges in France? It just simply does not make sense,” said the Sarawak DAP chief in his Facebook Page on Tuesday (July 19).
In addition to that, he stated that Petronas is a government owned company and that all Malaysians have a share in Petronas.
“With this in mind, what better place would it be than Parliament where all the 222 people’s representatives meet for a debate and discussion of this matter which affects the property of all Malaysians?
“As Petronas is a national company, the people are its shareholders and the Members of Parliament are the shareholders’ proxies and representatives.
“As such, MPs have the right to discuss the matter in Parliament and the people of Malaysia have the right to hear out how the present government has brought about such a disastrous outcome. The Speaker should not stand in our way,” he stressed.
Chong emphasised that the way the Sulu sultanate’s descendants went about claiming their rights over Petronas’ subsidiaries’ assets bypassed Malaysia’s legal system.
He stated that the sultanate’s descendants’ claim was based upon its alleged rights over the land in Sabah which amounted to a challenge to the country’s national sovereignty over Malaysian’s government’s rights on land.
“The claim is thus an affront to our national sovereignty. In such matters of national interest, Parliament is the most appropriate forum to discuss it.”
He called on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob to be gracious and responsible enough to submit a ministerial motion in Parliament to have the matter fully discussed and debated.
“All Malaysians have a right to know what actually went wrong. The Prime Minister should not hide behind the cloak of the Speaker’s chair,” he said.
Kota Belud MP Isnaraissah Munirab had tabled a private member’s motion in Parliament to debate the issue.
The motion, however, was turned down by Azhar.
