KUCHING: Bandar Kuching Dr.Kelvin Yii wants action taken against Kapar MP Dr Halimah Ali for misleading parliament.
“I have requested that Speaker Datuk Johari Abdul approve a motion to refer Halimah to the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges under Standing Order 36(12) for making a clear statement that misled the House and deemed to be in contempt of the House on Feb 14,” said Yii in a press statement here Tuesday.
“In her debate on the King’s speech, she made a statement saying that ‘… the Menu Rahmah movement, I do not want the B40 group to be exposed to diseases like cancer, autoimmune diseases, or autism’.
“The statement is untrue and irresponsible because it is not only not based on facts and science, but also can cause misunderstanding and stigma against the autistic and disabled community in Malaysia,” he said.
Yii who is DAPSY national chief said her statement gives a wrong impression to the public, further causing immense stigma and belief that autism is caused by poor care and determined by income levels.
“Autism, also known as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects an individual’s social interaction, communication and behaviour.
“ASD is a complex and lifelong condition, and while the exact causes of ASD are not yet fully understood, there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that poor diet or bad food causes autism,” he explained.
He also said, as a Member of Parliament in authority and a member of the medical fraternity, Halimah has to be mindful and responsible with her words and not allow it to feed into unproven conspiracies or pseudo-science arguments that are not evidence-based or proven by science.
“Fact of the matter is, the Kapar MP was given many opportunities to apologise and withdraw her statement.
“Even with public criticism including a rebuke from the Autism Inclusiveness Direct Action Group (Aida), she continues to mislead both public and the House.
“She continues to deny it in several public statements including a statement in the House where she tried to mislead the House again by denying that such statement was ever uttered and asking the House to refer to the Hansard to prove that the statement was never spoken,” Yii added.
“However, according to Hansard on Feb 14, including a video recording of Parliament shows that such a statement was clearly spoken in the House. Evidence of such was also furnished to the Speaker for further action.
“I strongly believe she not only needs to retract and clarify that statement, but make a clear and sincere apology to the different communities that are affected and also the public for continuing to lie about it,” he said.
To ensure each parliamentary representative is held to the highest standard of accountability in speech and deed, he urged the Speaker to approve the motion that was submitted in the House to refer the Kapar MP to the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges.
