Opposition walks out after Speaker rejects deferment of special Tabung Haji RCI sitting

Opposition lawmakers walked out of the special parliamentary sitting on the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on Tabung Haji almost immediately after it commenced. Kota Bharu MP Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan had requested that the sitting be deferred until the prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, recovered from elective laparoscopic surgery to treat a para-umbilical hernia.

Takiyuddin, the Opposition's chief whip, argued that debating without the prime minister was akin to a press conference. The Speaker confirmed that the session was merely a ministerial briefing and that no voting would take place that day. Arau MP Shahidan Kassim questioned why the RCI report did not include clarifications from Lim Guan Eng, who served as finance minister in the first Pakatan Harapan government.

A brief commotion ensued between Shahidan and Mohd Sany Hamzan. The Speaker clarified that the sitting would proceed according to Standing Order 11(3), with Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and other Cabinet ministers representing the government in Anwar's absence. Takiyuddin also questioned why the report was not tabled and debated in Parliament prior to its declassification.

Opposition Leader Hamzah Zainudin inquired about Anwar's rationale for disclosing the report now after withholding it for years, expressing concern that it could erode confidence among Malays. When asked if Bersatu would join the walkout, Hamzah said that the matter was still under discussion among Pas and Parti Wawasan Negara, with Bersatu lawmakers present in the Dewan Rakyat at the time.