I refer to the Malaysiakini report Only one BN MP signs petition for debate on ISA .

DAP-Ipoh Timur MP Lim Kit Siang was reported to have been disappointed that only one BN parliamentarian had signed the opposition-initiated petition to the prime minister for a debate on the Internal Security Act (ISA) in the Dewan Rakyat when it reconvenes after the Deepavali break.

To Lim, it boggles the mind that the petition has not received the support of the BN parliamentarians as the petition ‘is not a commitment to abolish the ISA…but only a call to debate whether the ISA should be reviewed or repealed’.

Now, what exactly is this petition to the prime minister?

An earlier Malaysiakini report Give Kok’s ISA motion priority had reported that Lim had made a request to the prime minister to give priority to DAP-Seputih MP Teresa Kok’s motion, listed last on Parliamentary Order Paper dated Oct 20. Lim had also urged all MPs to support a call to move Kok’s motion to the ‘very top of the parliamentary business’.

So, is the petition a call for a debate on the ISA or a call to give priority to Kok’s motion?

To be fair to the BN parliamentarians, let’s look at Kok’s motion. It says (in Bahasa Malaysia):

‘ Bahawa Dewan ini mengkritik Kerajaan Barisan Nasional mengguna Akta Keselamatan Negara untuk menahan pemberita Sin Chew Jit Poh Tan Hoon Cheng, penulis blog Raja Petra Kamarudin dan Ahli Parlimen Seputeh YB Teresa Kok dalam bulan September tahun ini.

'Dewan ini juga memegang pendirian bahawa Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri merupakan akta yang tidak adil dan bercanggah dengan keadilan sejati (natural justice) dan hak asasi manusia, dan mengambil pendirian bahawa akta ini dimansuhkan

Strongly worded, the motion clearly calls for the BN government to be castigated and the ISA to be abolished. I do not think the motion will see the light of day.

But if the petition is for a debate on the ISA, then Lim’s remark that the lone BN signatory to it did not reflect the public pronouncement of top leaders of BN component parties for a review of the ISA is spot on.

When Koh Tsu Koon, then Gerakan acting president, made the call about a month ago for the setting up of a parliament select committee to review the Internal Security Act (ISA), I thought he should take the call a step further. What do I mean by this?

The Standing Orders (SO) of the Dewan Rakyat provide for the appointment of a number of select committees (SO 76-80). These include, among others, the Public Accounts Committee (SO 77), the House Committee (SO 79) and the Committee of Privileges (SO 80).

Now, there is also a provision for the appointment of a Special Select Committee (SO 81).

Unlike the select committees appointed under SO 76-80 which are made either at the beginning of every parliament session or as soon as may be thereafter, a special select committee is appointed by order of the Dewan.

The appointment of such a committee - whose membership must as far as is practicable reflect the balance between the parties within the Dewan - would enable deliberations of a matter referred to it by the Dewan.

For such purpose, the select committee ‘shall have power to send persons, documents, or papers, and shall have leave to report its opinion and observations together with the minutes of evidence taken before it’ to the Dewan.

It is also provided that the committee shall continue in being until it completes the task for which it was appointed. (See SO 82-83)

In short, a special select committee of the Dewan is the very ‘vehicle’ to review the ISA that would ‘take into account all the different views on the ISA’ and ‘study all aspects of the Act’, as mooted by Koh.

It is, however, a committee appointed by order of the Dewan as mentioned earlier. Unless the Dewan is moved to pass a motion for the appointment of such a committee, no order of the Dewan is forthcoming.

The point to make here is that it is opportune time for Gerakan and MCA MPs to sign a petition that calls for a debate on the ISA. Or should I say, it’s time to walk the talk.