I am intrigued by the following article by Azmi Anshar in NST Online and thought that I would share it with you all:

DEWAN DISPATCHES: Parliament’s great white shark

For as long as the political savvy can remember, Lim Kit Siang has been an authoritative presence in the Dewan Rakyat, an orator of sublime presentation on compelling issues of the day he wishes to hound on political rivals, or a predatory great white shark smelling blood dripping from a “wounded” Minister or MP desperately trying to cover shenanigans only the Ipoh Timur MP can sniff out.

The 67-year-old seasoned Parliamentary player of seven terms can appear to be humbled by a lucid riposte by a cool Minister or MP and smile bewitchingly (menacingly if you suddenly realise that you are the target of his sniping), or he can suddenly snarl like an attack dog, pouncing ferociously on the lapses the MP may have unwittingly exposed. Except for a brief four-year period (1999-2004) when he was “exiled” out of Parliament after losing in the 1999 general election in Tanjung, Kit, as he is fondly called by colleagues and friends, has been a paradoxical character who had injected impact and colour into the debates of august hall.

Kit’s parliamentary performances, many seasons as Opposition leader, but now deferring to PKR president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, had been in his vintage style – articulate and authoritative when raising and stressing points but insistent, cynical, outlandish and brazen when deflecting broadsides from Barisan backbenchers, a slew of them with many axes to grind.

If there ever was a Top 10 list of best Dewan Rakyat debates, you can be sure that Kit has a couple of greatest hits in there somewhere, such is his searing influence in the business of formulating national laws and polices in the Dewan Rakyat.

Today was Kit’s turn to hold the floor in the debate on the royal address and he took a good two hours to deliver his package though a bulk of it meandered on endless interjections, clarifications, demands for rebuttals and, in the spirit of the Dewan Rakyat, a good old-fashion shouting match, all of it with BN backbenchers. Kit, who has the skill to rile up a Member of Parliament for no other reason than to rile up the person, would not have it any other way. All in all, another Lim Kit Siang vintage performance.

It was expected: the moment he stood up to begin his debate, Kit accelerated from zero to 120 in a matter of seconds, thundering on the authorities’ motive of charging blogger Raja Petra Raja Kamaruddin under the Sedition Act in connection with a recent posting on Altantuya Shaariibuu murder case when the resolute blogger should have been cited for contempt of court.

Kit’s penchant for hyperbole is also striking. Consider his overstatements on these allegations:

–> “Is this the beginning of a crackdown and the latest example of The Empire Strikes Back?” his description of the BN’s retaliation for losing five states in the March 8 polls.

–> “The BN government should be praised for “licensing” the DAP’s demand for reforms over the years. We won’t insist on copyright infringement.”

–> “The Government, for all its promise of transparency and accountability, allowed the bailout of Port Klang Free Zone development cost to bloat from RM2.5 billion to RM4.6 billion. This is the biggest scandal of them all, bigger than the BMF scandal. Is this going to be a bottomless pit?”

It did not matter that Kit’s allegations triggered derisive howls of protests, first from Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing (BN-Bintulu), who Kit insinuated had profited from the PKFZ bailout. In interjecting and demanding passage to explain his involvement, Tiong accused Kit of being “unable to calculate” and offered to teach the Ipoh Timur MP on “how to count.” For a good 15 seconds, the slanging between Tiong and Kit degenerated into a shouting match and eventually, Tiong challenged Kit to repeat his allegations outside the privileged cocoon of the House, which a smiling Kit gleefully accepted. (NOTE: Kit had raised the issue during a Budget 2008 debate on Sept 10, 2007. Kit’s speech was reproduced in his blog)

Another aspect of Kit’s oratorical repertoire which he shows considerable skill is the baiting of an unsuspecting MP, which happened during a slanging match with Khairy Jamaludin (BN-Rembau). While Kit was droning on the statistics relating to the PKFZ, Khairy sought to ask a question: would all the Pakatan Rakyat state governments follow the Penang Government’s move to call for open tenders to establish uniformity?

Licking his lips, Kit thanked Khairy for what he felt was support for the Penang Government’s move and then proceeded to confer Khairy with this sobriquet: “the richest unemployed man in the world”, even after managing to dispose shares he owned at a loss. An indignant Khairy quickly jumped, citing Point of Order 36 (9), which prohibits an MP from questioning the behaviour and character of another MP, to which the House Speaker agreed.

However, Kit sensed a strategic rubbing-in: “Is this a sangkaan jahat (bad impression)? These are public facts,” he intoned, repeatedly saying his newfound sobriquet for Khairy, to which the younger man protested that Kit’s remarks deviated from the original issue. Both men ignored the Speaker’s plea for order as Kit repeated his sobriquet while Khairy maintained his protest.

Kit had a similar showdown many years ago with Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, who – while answering a question related to his Works Ministry – was floored by Kit’s 180-degree attack, of all things, on the suit Samy wore. Kit berated incessantly that Samy’s professed passion for austerity and the poor did not match the very expensive suits he wore, in this case an Ermenegildo Zegna. While Samy steadfastly explained that his suit had nothing to do with the matter at hand, Kit’s response bordered on the infantile. “Zenga…Zenga…Zenga” was all Kit rattled, not caring that he pronounced the suit maker’s name wrongly but for pure tackiness, it was another Lim Kit Siang vintage bait-and-switch.

In yet another slanging match with Khairy, Kit allowed Khairy a question that Karpal Singh’s criticism of the Perak Mentri Besar and the state’s royal house in the transfer of a top religious officer as unconstitutional. Kit’s reply to a question with a question was classic: “Didn’t what Umno do to the Terengganu Sultan on the Mentri Besar’s appointment also unconstitutional?” This time, the exchange became a full-blown shouting match, joined by Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman (BN-Pasir Salak) and Ngah Kor Ming (DAP-Taiping). Tajuddin accused Kit of manipulation and abuse of privileges but Ngah went off-tangent by claiming that Tajuddin assaulted him inside the Perak State Assembly.

What was Kit doing while all of this was roiling around him? He sat down and merely enjoyed the confusion while waiting for it to simmer down before he was directed by the Speaker to wind-up his debate.

“You have spoken for almost 120 minutes,” the Speaker reminded Kit.

“Yes, 80 per cent of it wasted on these interruptions,” he deadpanned. The Great White shark would be fully satisfied at the prey he chomped today.