UNITED FRONT: Opposition leaders (from left, front row) Lim Kit Siang, Wan Azizah Ismail and Nasharuddin Mat Isa walking out of Parliament House yesterday after the Speaker rejected the proposal to debate a motion of no-confidence against the Prime Minister. -- PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

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Led by soft-spoken parliamentary opposition leader Wan Azizah Ismail, they left their seats to taunts from MPs of the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition who shouted: 'Get out, get out!'

The opposition was also protesting against Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia's refusal to summon the police chief over the lockdown of Parliament House yesterday.

The authorities had tightened security after warning of a 'big demonstration' to support the no-confidence motion.

Traffic in many parts of Kuala Lumpur came to a near standstill as the police closed roads around Parliament House. Road blocks have been mounted since last Saturday, and some 1,600 policemen have been deployed citywide.

There were no street protests yesterday.

The opposition vehemently denied that it had organised any protests. 'Has Parliament become a war zone? Is this the government reaction to us just because we have a motion for debate?' Datin Seri Wan Azizah said yesterday.

She also slammed the police for obtaining a court order to prevent her husband, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who leads the opposition coalition, from stepping within a 5km radius of Parliament.

Madam Wan Azizah had filed the parliamentary motion last Thursday, claiming that Malaysians had lost confidence in Datuk Seri Abdullah and his Cabinet.

It was rejected by Tan Sri Pandikar Amin on technical grounds - he said the motion contained the 'wrong choice of words' - and on the basis that the substance of the motion had been covered in earlier debates.

He added that the motion was filed under a Standing Order that did not permit a vote, while the opposition proposal called for a resolution, which requires voting.

The Speaker did not accede to appeals from the opposition to amend the motion.

'Don't drag the Speaker into the political arena,' he said over the noise of MPs jeering and shouting at one another.

He grew increasingly exasperated as opposition MPs leapt to their feet to protest against his decision while the BN MPs tried to shout them down. His orders for the MPs to sit down were ignored.

The no-confidence motion would not have threatened Mr Abdullah's position even if it had gone to debate, as it did not carry a vote.

Furthermore, his BN coalition has 140 MPs to the opposition's 82.

Nevertheless, it would have been embarrassing for Mr Abdullah, who last week announced that he would retire in June 2010, amid growing pressure on him to resign to take responsibility for the BN's record losses in the March 8 polls.

He is facing a leadership struggle in his Umno party, as well as mounting public anger over inflation that could hit a 10-year high after fuel prices were raised last month.

The government defended the extensive security measures that turned Parliament into a fortress guarded by armed police.

Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar said the government could not 'wait for things to happen' as there were all sorts of threats and intimidation.

Mr Abdullah said the traffic gridlock was caused by 'these people who are organising the demonstration'. 'Go to a stadium and shriek and scream at the top of your voice if you want to demonstrate,' he said.

Mr Azmin Ali, an MP from the opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat, called it a 'wicked provocation to scare the people'.

The opposition claimed the lockdown was to prevent Mr Anwar - who is not an MP - from entering Parliament, where he had intended to follow the debate.

The authorities said security was tightened also because of fears that Mr Anwar's supporters would stage a protest after he was ordered to give a statement to the police on the allegation that he had sexually assaulting a former aide.

Mr Anwar has denied the sodomy accusation, slamming it as a conspiracy to stop him from seizing power.

carolynh@sph.com.sg

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