The exchange also saw home minister Hamzah Zainudin facing questions from opposition MPs on abuse of power. Hamzah was also the home minister in the previous administration.

The argument began when opposition MPs called those across the floor “mangkuk” (stupid) over the closure of the road to the Parliament building, leading to an uproar.

On Aug 2, opposition MPs had planned to enter the Parliament building. When they could not enter because of the road closure, the MPs protested at Dataran Merdeka.

Earlier, RSN Rayer (PH-Jelutong) asked who ordered police to stop MPs from entering Parliament.

“We wanted to come in to take our items that were left behind after Dewan Rakyat was suspended on July 29. All the roads were blocked. As MPs, we have rights to enter here.

“Can the speaker make sure it does not happen again?” he said, adding that it was a criminal offence to obstruct MPs from carrying out their duties.

Ngeh Koo Ham (PH-Beruas) asked what action would be taken against the police officers who barred the MPs from Parliament.

Wong Kah Woh (PH-Ipoh Timur) said the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was supposed to have a meeting on Aug 2 but police stopped its members from entering the building despite showing a letter that the PAC had to meet.

“But the police gave me two minutes to leave the place or be detained. Will the speaker protect the MPs?” he asked.

Dewan Rakyat speaker Azhar Azizan Harun said Parliament building was open on Aug 2 and that he had asked for all MPs to be allowed in to collect their belongings.

He said he had no knowledge on the road closure, and this was up to the home minister to explain.

This led to Sim Tze Tzin (PH-Bayan Baru) asking if Hamzah had abused his powers over the road closure.

Hamzah said Parliament building was closed because of the over-100 Covid-19 cases detected there.

“Police were informed that no one was to enter the building as it was being disinfected,” he said.

This led to opposition MPs calling Hamzah “mangkuk” and the backbenchers hitting back, saying such language was unparliamentary.