KUALA LUMPUR: A ruckus broke out in the Dewan Rakyat today, with several MPs trading barbs over the statistics of sexual offences against children by state.
Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (PN-Pasir Mas) criticised RSN Rayer (PH-Jelutong) for a speech he made yesterday, in which the DAP man claimed Kelantan had the highest number of cases involving child sexual offences nationwide.
Fadhli, the PAS information chief, said data from the statistics department showed this was factually incorrect, and that it was unbecoming of an MP like Rayer to spread false information.
“This is a cheap political tactic by (Rayer) to campaign for the Johor state election,” he said.
Rayer rose to defend his statement, saying he did not intend to mislead the house and was merely posing a question while referring to a news report.
“I merely asked the deputy law and institutional reform minister why the government isn’t focusing on reducing the number of sexual offences against children which are on the rise in Kelantan, and what action is being taken,” he said.
Radzi Jidin (PN-Putrajaya) then pointed out that, according to the statistics department, Selangor had the highest number of child sexual offences, even after accounting for the state’s population density.
“When it comes to these offences, forget the state. It happens in every state. Our focus should be on resolving it. Don’t politicise it, Rayer,” the former education minister said.
Deputy speaker Alice Lau then ordered the MPs to stop the ruckus, warning that she would order them to leave the Dewan Rakyat if they did not cool down.
