Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar Mohamad Hasan has refused to answer a claim that he had transferred RM10 million to London through a moneychanger in 2008.

Anthony Loke Siew Fook (DAP-Lobak, left ) twice raised the matter during the ongoing sitting of the state assembly, but did not get an explanation.

Several BN backbenchers jumped to Mohamad’s defence on the first occasion on Monday, insisting on retraction of Loke’s remark.

Loke refused to budge, instead waving a printout of a Malaysiakini report on the matter and calling for clarification.

Yesterday, when Mohamad was winding up on points raised during debate on the 2010 state budget, Loke again demanded an explanation.

"I don’t have to answer you. I answer to the authorities concerned,” said Mohamad, reiterating under pressure from Loke that he did not want to answer the question.

Loke told Malaysiakini after the sitting that the refusal to answer indicates that Mohamad (right) may be under investigation by the authorities.

"His failure to answer the claim is clearly jeorpadising the integrity of the office of menteri besar. I hope Bank Negara and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission will probe this matter as soon as possible.”

Vulgar remark

In a separate development, there was an altercation in the House when a Barisan Nasional representative made a vulgar remark about a Pakatan Rakyat counterpart.

Mohd Taufek Abdul Ghani (PAS-Paroi) had asked what was being done to fulfil promises made to the Indian Malaysian estate community during the Bagan Pinang by-election last month.

He wanted VS Mogan (BN-Jeram Padang), the state exco for estate affairs, human resources and the environment, to clarify in particular the status of low-cost houses promised by the state government to estate workers in Siliau.

Mogan replied the promises will be fulfilled as the state government has always taken care of the welfare of estate workers.

At this juncture, M Ravi (l eft ) (PKR-Port Dickson) stood up and accused Mogan of lying, saying that the low-cost housing issue has not been resolved for 10 years.

Zainal Abidin Ahmad (BN-Sungai Lui) then let fly a Tamil vulgar word at Ravi, while grabbing a mineral water bottle and simulated throwing it at him.

Ravi asked the speaker to order Zainal to retract the word, but the latter refused to do so.

S Veerapan (DAP-Repah) and Cha Kee Chin (DAP-Kepayang) also called for a retraction, but Zainal in turn said Ravi should retract the word ‘lying’.

Opposition Leader Anthony Loke Siew Fook (DAP-Lobak) requested Ravi to retract and replace the word with 'not correct', and told Zainal Abidin to retract his offending word.

Both then obliged.