Teng Chang Khim

SHAH ALAM (May 19. 2009) : Former Selangor Mentri Besar and Sungai Panjang state assemblyman Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo faces up to a year’s suspension from the state legislative assembly for failure to attend its select committee for competency accountability and transparency (Selcat) hearing held in March.

The hearing was held to scrutinise the excesses of the now defunct wives of Selangor Barisan nasional (BN) parliamentarians and state assemblymen welfare organization (Balkis) which was headed by Mohd Khir’s wife Datin Seri Zahrah Kechik before it was dissolved following the down fall of BN in Selangor during 2008 general election.

The state opposition leader also stands to lose his allowance of more than RM4,000 a month and other perks such as claims for office phone, driver, entertainment and special allowances.

Mohd Khir also faces suspension of six months for each of three insulting statement he made about the Selcat in his blog and the press. This too includes suspension of allowance and perks.

His colleagues Datuk Warno Dogol (Sabak), Mohd Isa Abu Kasim (Batang Kali), Datuk Marsum Paing (Dengkil) and Datuk Mohamed Idris Abdu Bakar

(Hulu Bernam) each face six months suspension and suspension of their allowances and perks for making statements that defamed the assembly.

The rights and privileges committee which met today made these recommendations which will be tabled as motions at the next state legislative assembly hearing in July and will come into effect if passed.

Mohd Khir and the four others had accused the Selcat of being a political tool used to defame him and claimed that it was not an independent body but one that was set up for the purpose of revenge.

"The penalty for Mohd Khir will run concurrently," said rights and privileges committee chairman Teng Chang Khim.

Datin Seri Zahrah Kechik

The five members of the house will be allowed to attend the next sitting pending the tabling of the motions.

"We do not discourage assemblymen from giving criticism but there are limits, and in this case they have made unfounded allegations that the committee is a political tool," he said.

In defense Teng who is also Speaker of the state legislative assembly said: "One third of all committees in the house are made up of opposition members thus it is not fair for them to accuse the committee of being partial."

"Our decision was also made based on laws and case studies of suspensions from the House in the country and in the commonwealth," said Teng holding up a copy of the Erskine May which he named as the bible for parliamentary practices.

We also took into account cases of suspension from parliament involving Karpal Singh, Fong Po Kuan and Gobind Singh Deo.

Teng also said this is not the harshest punishment to be meted out by the Selangor legislative assembly.

"The harshest punishment ever imposed in history was on me when I was barred from the assembly for 30 months and stripped of my allowance and perks for 18 months," he said adding that during his time he was not even allowed to defend himself. Teng was suspended for throwing a copy of the Standing Order in a waste-paper basket in protest.

Teng said he did not take part in the decision of the rights and privileges committee in accordance to the Standing Orders which only looks for the Speakers’s say if there is a tie in votes.

BN representative in the committee Warno Dogol could not vote as he was under scrutiny while his colleague Wong Koon Mun (Kuala Kubu Baru) did not attend the meeting.

Committee members present yesterday were Dr Shafie Abu Bakar (Bangi), Gan Pei nei (Rawang) and Hannah Yeoh (Subang Jaya). Amiruddin Shari (Batu Caves) did not attend.

Dr Mohd Khir Toyo

Asked about Mohd Khir’s statement saying that he would challenge any dcision by the state assembly to suspend him, Teng said: "Article 72 of

the Federal Constitution says that proceedings of a state legislative assembly cannot be questioned in any court, and that it is final."

When he was Mentri Besar that was the precedence he set, Teng added.

When contacted for response Mohd Khir said: "I will wait for a formal letter on the suspension and let my lawyer take it on from there."

They cannot stop me from going to court, he added.

Meanwhile police have recorded the statement of the secretary of the state legislative assembly following a police report lodged against Zahrah Kechik for not showing up at the Selcat inquiry into Balkis.

Teng said all the relevant documents have already been handed over to the police who are investigating the matter.

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