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Media Statement (2) by Lim Kit Siang in Petaling Jaya on Friday, 7th November 2008:  DAP and Pakatan Rakyat MPs to push for severest action to be taken against BN Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin Abdul Rahman for using the terms “bastard” and “bloody bastard” in Parliament Yesterday, two DAP MPs were suspended from the Dewan Rakyat – a dubious record for a single day of parliamentary proceeding. DAP MP for Batu Gajah Fong Po Kuan was reduced to tears not because she had committed any crime or wrong but at the injustice of being ordered out of the House for trying to discharge her parliamentary duty to speak up on behalf of her constituents and Malaysians. DAP MP for Bandar Kuching Chong Chieng Jen was suspended because he stood up to support Fong and complained about the harsh nature of of the Speaker’s decision. On Tuesday, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) MP for Batu, Tian Chua, was suspended from the House for repeatedly demanding to know why the Finance Minister, Datuk Najib Razak was refusing to allow opposition MPs to seek clarification on his new RM7 billion supplement to the 2009 Budget which had not been formally tabled in Parliament. Last Thursday, DAP National Chairman and MP for Bukit Gelugor Karpal Singh was suspended for two days over the “main, main” issue. But all these “infractions” of the four Pakatan Rakyat MPs added together are nothing compared to the ultimate parliamentary offence by the obstreperous Barisan Nasional MP for Pasir Salak Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman in his most obnoxious and completely unacceptable conduct on Wednesday when he used the terms “bastard” and “bloody bastard” against the DAP MP for Ipoh Barat, M. Kulasegaran. The Malaysian Parliament may have the notoriety as the first Parliament in the world where MPs could get away with unparliamentary terms like “bastard” and “bloody bastard” lightly. Although Tajuddin subsequently withdrew the ultimate of unparliamentary terms, the damage had already been done – as it was a parliamentary offence which could be mitigated and not wiped out by a withdrawal. Compared to the punishment meted out to Po Kuan, Chieng Jen, Tian Chua and Karpal, Tajuddin should be suspended for at least one year if not two years for deliberately using terms which go beyond the pale of parliamentary permissibility and dishonouring forever parliamentary honour and record. If Tajuddin is allowed to get away with such “ultimate” contempt of Parliament, it would only be a matter of time before four-letter obscenities and expletives are deliberately used in the House by an MP, who would be quite happy to withdraw it when challenged – preserving the whole disgraceful episode for posterity. This must not be permitted. To safeguard the honour and dignity of Parliament, DAP and Pakatan Rakyat MPs will push for the severest action to be taken Tajuddin for his uncouth and boorish behaviour in using the terms “bastard” and “bloody bastard” in Parliament against another MP in Parliament. In fact, such terms should never be heard again in the Chambers of Malaysian Parliament. * Lim Kit Siang,  DAP Parliamentary leader & MP for Ipoh Timor