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KUALA LUMPUR: Parliament fell into a shouting match after a deputy minister was accused of showing the middle finger to opposition deputies in the House after a block vote was called.
The problem started right after the block vote on the appropriations for the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities under the 2021 Budget was requested at the committee stage in Parliament on Tuesday (December 1).
MPs on both sides of the political divide began taunting each other before their microphones were muted.
Parliamentarians from Pakatan Harapan, in an act of defiance, were heard chanting “pengkhianat” (traitor), while pounding on their respective tables.
It was during this time that Willie Mongin, Vice Minister of Plantation and Commodity Industries (Photo) allegedly showed the middle finger.
“It’s a middle finger. The MP from Puncak Borneo is pointing the middle finger,” said Kasthuri Patto (PH-Batu Kawan), while his colleague RSN Rayer (PH-Jelutong) supported her and demanded that Mongin apologize with the House.
The traitorous comment is a blow frequently used by opposition MPs to poke fun at other MPs who left the former Pakatan administration in February to form the current Perikatan Nasional government.
Spokesman Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun then broke off the discussion and demanded that MPs be seated while the block vote was held on the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities allocation.
Ten minutes later, Azhar read the results where 108 deputies voted in favor of the approval of the ministry’s assignment, while 95 deputies voted against and 13 were absent.
Soon after, Rayer raised a point of order, saying that Mongin’s alleged middle finger swatch was witnessed by at least 10 MPs in the House.
“This is an insult to women. I don’t want to repeat this. This is serious, ask him to apologize please, ”Rayer said.
Azhar then asked, “Vice Minister, is it true?”
In response, Mongin denied showing the middle finger in the House, saying the MPs sitting on the other side might have looked bad.
“I want to explain here that I did not show my middle finger. They could have looked wrong. But, if you still think so, then I’m ready to apologize. Thank you.”
However, a short video clip showing Mongin allegedly showing the middle finger was uploaded to Twitter on Tuesday (December 1) shortly after the incident.
Kasthuri, who first raised the issue before the bloc vote, then stood firm, claiming that even Parit Sulong MP Datuk Dr. Noraini Ahmad had seen Mongin point the middle finger at opposition MPs.
“If he didn’t point the middle finger, then why did Parit Sulong tell him to calm down? You (Dr. Noraini) yelled it twice.
“What a mockery of the August household,” Kasthuri said.
Before the incident, there was also a shouting match after Shah Alam’s MP Khalid Abdul Samad called Mongin stupid as the deputy minister delivered his closing speech.
“Shah Alam, don’t think that you are the only smart one. Don’t look down on people, ”Mongin said.
“That’s because your answer is stupid,” Khalid said in response, before a shouting match ensued, prompting Azhar to slam his gavel, demanding MPs to shut up and sit down until a vote was called. voice over the 2021 budget allocations for the ministry.
This is the third time Pakatan has lost the block vote in the committee’s debate stage on the 2021 budget since Monday.
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