KUALA LUMPUR: Security measures at Parliament building were beefed up on Monday after the scuffle last Thursday.
Police and security officers were seen outside the main gate of the road leading to Parliament building. All drivers had to either show their tags or inform security of their intentions in coming to Parliament before they were allowed to drive in.
Except for Members of Parliament (MPs) and Parliament staff, all drivers -- whether they were civil servants, members of the media, contract workers or visitors -- had to surrender their working tags or identity cards in exchange for Parliament tags right after they entered the main gate.
Previously, they only had to surrender their tags or identity cards when they entered the building.
Chief administrator Datuk Kamaruddin Mohamd Baria said this would be an interim measure pending a decision by Dewan Rakyat after an investigation committee set up last Thursday had completed its findings.
The eight-men committee was set up after DAP national chairman Karpal Singh told the House that he had been blocked by a group comprising members of Umno Youth at the entrance. A scuffle had ensued.
The committee, led by Dewan Rakyat speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia, comprises his deputy Datuk Ronald Kiandee, and MPs such as Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing (BN-Bintulu), Nancy Shukri (BN-Batang Sadong), Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn (BN-Alor Gajah), R. Sivarasa (PKR-Subang), Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur) and Datuk Kamaruddin Jaffar (PAS-Tumpat).
It would conduct its probe in chambers, then report back to the House with its recommendation for a decision to be made in the House.
Other new security measures may be imposed later, depending on the recommendation and decision of Dewan Rakyat, Kamaruddin said.
Karpal was however far from impressed with the heightened security measures and suggested that when it comes to guests, only those invited by an MP should be allowed in.
“Whoever comes to Parliament must be sponsored by an MP, and the MP must be held responsible for whoever comes in here,” he said at the Parliament lobby.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz also proposed that the invitation system, which was once practised in Parliament, be implemented again.
“Perhaps one MP can be allowed to extend 10 invitations,” he said.
He added that the beefed-up security at Parliament was a decision made by the Speaker, and hoped that the measures would be made permanent.
Deputy Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said security at Parliament were too loose compared with to those in other countries such as Australia, Bangladesh and India.
News by The Star Online...
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