Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia said a committee he chaired to discuss the case was unsure if the Parliament should act against the attackers, or if the police should do so.
This, he said, was because there were concerns that if both institutions act independently in the investigation of the case, it would result in double jeopardy.
Double jeopardy is a procedural defence that prevents an accused person from being tried twice on the same charges and on the same facts, following a valid acquittal or conviction.
“In my personal opinion, let Parliament take action, no need for us to involve the police from outside,” he said today, after informing the Dewan Rakyat that the committee is now on a break to review the matter.
Pandikar’s statement came in response to Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Gelang Patah) who questioned why the House has yet to take any action over the attack that happened on Nov 24 last year.
In the incident, a group of about 20 to 30 men surprised Khalid by attacking him when he was about to enter the Parliament building. They claimed to be Pasir Salak Umno members and some were heard saying that Khalid had insulted their “father”.
This came after Khalid called Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin Abdul Rahman “sial” (damned) for saying that DAP’s Seputeh MP Teresa Kok was the only woman with a “Kok” in Seputeh.
In an immediate response to Pandikar, Khalid said the attackers should be subjected to police action, because among those hurt in the attack, were police personnel stationed at the Parliament building.
“When a government servant is hurt by members of the public, the action must be taken by the relevant authority, which in this case is the police, even though the incident occurred on Parliament grounds,” Khalid said.
He added, however, that the verbal altercation between him and Tajuddin should be investigated by the Parliament.
“If either of us are found guilty, then the House should be the one to take appropriate action,” Khalid told the Dewan Rakyat.