(Oct 22): DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang has been suspended from Parliament for six months for insulting speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia, in a proceeding marred by protests and heckling.

The motion to suspend the Gelang Patah MP was tabled by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said amid protests from opposition MPs.

It was passed in a bloc vote, with the final result of 107 yeas versus 77 nays.

This came after a voice vote was taken.

This was the first time since the start of the current sitting, the last for this year, that a motion was moved to suspend a Member of Parliament.

The motion noted that Lim had accused Pandikar of abusing his power and "sabotaging" the investigations into 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) on Monday during the debate on the appointment of the new Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman.

The motion also said Lim had called Pandikar a "dictator" and that he had politicised his position as the chair of the lower house of Parliament.

"The accusations by The Honourable Gelang Patah is very serious and is an insult to the speaker of Dewan Rakyat and it is also an insult to the Dewan Rakyat proceedings," read the motion.

Despite the suspension, Lim's pay and allowances will not be frozen.

Lim on Monday accused Pandikar of abusing his powers by ruling a few months ago that PAC could not continue its ongoing probe into state investment vehicle 1MDB following the elevation of four PAC members to the Cabinet.

This prompted Pandikar to demand the next day that Lim apologise unconditionally and retract his statement against him at the "next opportune time".

Today's process, which started at 11.30am after question time and ended at 1pm before lunch break, saw opposition MPs arguing on technicalities, including the wording of the motion and the standing orders used.

They also said there were existing disciplinary provisions, including the option of referring Lim to the rights and privileges committee instead of using this route to suspend him.

In his closing speech before the vote was taken, Lim described today's incident as the "most shameful chapter in the history of Malaysian parliament".

He added that he had never "deliberately" accused Pandikar of abuse of power and sabotaging investigations into 1MDB.

"I have been an MP for more than 40 years and I have never felt so sad, not because I will be suspended but because of what happened today.

"I know I am the latest victim, there is a disease in this country which is the 1MDB monster.

"Let my suspension be a lesson to the people that there is a need to ubah until Umno/Barisan Nasional falls," he said, invoking DAP's rallying cry which means change in Malay.

He said the public would agree that Pandikar's decision to freeze PAC proceedings was an abuse of power.

"If we have a referendum if there is a sabotage into 1MDB's investigation, it will be a yes."

Azalina said Lim had been given ample time to apologise and retract his remarks but the veteran lawmaker had refused to do so.

"The government has no choice but to do this," she said. – The Malaysian Insider