Pendang MP Awang Hashim has denied challenging another MP to a fight outside Parliament last week.
Awang, who was suspended from the Dewan Rakyat for 10 days on Monday, said it was a “reminder” to Jelutong MP RSN Rayer to watch out for attacks outside Parliament.
“It is not correct to say I invited him to fight. My hand motions were recorded but it did not show what I really meant.
“I know what it would mean to challenge someone to a fight outside Parliament.
“I only wanted to remind the MP not to touch on religious issues to the point that someone else would punch him outside Parliament,” Berita Harian reported him as saying.
Last week, Marang MP Abdul Hadi Awang implied in his debate on the 13th Malaysia Plan that Kuala Lumpur’s problems were due to DAP and the unity government.
This led to a fiery exchange between MPs from both sides and a walkout by opposition MPs.
Several videos that later went viral showed Awang making gestures, apparently challenging others to a fight outside the Dewan Rakyat.
In his ruling on Monday, Speaker Johari Abdul said he witnessed the incident and was “very disappointed”.
“The gallery was open, there were children from school,” he had said, adding that such behaviour did not look good for the nation.
Awang said he would abide by the ruling, but regretted that he was not given the opportunity to explain himself over the video which had shown him making a fist.
“I was not called to defend myself. If the punishment has been given by the meeting’s rule holders and they say I am guilty, I will accept it,” he said.
