A SHOUTING match erupted after Opposition lawmaker Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim accused a Pakatan Harapan MP of supporting Israel.
“I have filed a number of (motions). Every 10 minutes, a child is killed in Palestine and the death toll of Palestinians has exceeded 8,000.
“I ask Parliament to make its position known on this issue (the Israel-Palestine conflict) and not just let one person air their views. For example, Tebrau (Jimmy Puah) who made his stance of supporting Israel known.
“Parliament must make its stance known on this genocide,” Shahidan (PN-Arau) said while asking the Dewan Rakyat to discuss the matter.
When Puah tried to interject, Shahidan then told him to “shut up”.
Puah then said the “shut up” remark was unparliamentary and should not be uttered by a senior MP like Shahidan.
“Secondly, he said I support Israel. That is slander. I hope Arau will retract that statement,” he said.
Deputy Speaker Alice Lau, who was presiding over the session, then asked if Shahidan had any proof that Puah supported Israel.
Shahidan did not explain his accusation and simply claimed that the issue had already “gone viral in public”.
Puah then defended himself by saying that he was in solidarity with Palestine.
“I have asked the Home Minister whether the requirements for the peaceful solidarity assembly could be relaxed where more solidarity assemblies could be held without the five-day notice. There is a record I had asked this in the Dewan Rakyat,” Puah said.
Shahidan then went on to reiterate that Parliament had not made its stance known on the conflict.
Lau demanded that Shahidan retract his “slanderous” accusations against Puah.
Shahidan replied that he would retract his statement if Puah said he does not support Israel.
This led to a shouting match with several Pakatan MPs demanding that Shahidan retract his statement.
Wong Shu Qi (PH-Kluang) was then heard asking if this was how PAS MPs behaved.
“Is this how PAS MPs behave? Where they just cast aspersions?” she said.
Despite repeated calls for him to retract his statement, Shahidan did not do so and the situation was defused by the House proceeding with its order of business.
