KUALA LUMPUR,Dec 1: An Opposition MP claimed today that Puncak Borneo MP Willie Mongin twice showed his middle finger in the Dewan Rakyat.
This incident allegedly took place minutes before the voting for the plantation, industries and commodities ministry’s 2021 budget at the committee stage.
Mongin, the deputy minister, had earlier read the winding up speech on behalf of the ministry.
Kasthuri Patto (PH-Batu Kawan) told Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun that Mongin had showed the middle finger.
“(He showed) his middle finger … Puncak Borneo,” she said as the microphones were muted immediately to make way for the voting process.
Later, she claimed that he had made the gesture twice. She was backed by RSN Rayer (PH-Jelutong) who said the gesture was disrespectful to women.
Mongin, however, said that it was not true but added: “If it happened, I am ready to apologise.” Video footage of the proceedings show Mongin making a hand gesture but it was not clear what he was doing.
During the voting, opposition MPs shouted “pengkhianat” (traitor) several times, apparently at Mongin, a former PKR MP. A total of 108 MPs supported the ministry’s budget while 95 voted against the budget. Another 17 MPs were absent.
Earlier, deputy speaker Rashid Hasnon said he had been informed by Shabudin Yahaya (BN-Tasek Gelugor) that the latter had wrongly included Nazri Aziz (BN-Padang Rengas) in the list of those who supported the finance ministry’s budget at the committee stage. Nazri had not been present during the vote.
