KUALA LUMPUR: Just after being sworn in as the MP for Permatang Pauh, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim showed his “fangs” in the Dewan Rakyat by interjecting the debate on the Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Identification Bill 2008.

Anwar who was also just appointed opposition leader in the House, stood up after Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman (BN-Pasir Salak) had interrupted Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud’s (PAS-Kota Raja) debate, asking whether the Bar Council still had the credibility to give its views on the Bill after the controversies involving the organisation.

In support of Siti Mariah’s opinion that the Bar Council needed to be referred to in drawing up the Bill, Anwar sarcastically asked the members of the House whether a corrupt government was less credible compared to the legal body.

“The government had tabled this Bill on Monday without giving the opportunity to the members of parliament, including our friends who are still on the other side (BN), to study it.

And it was tabled in haste.

“This Bill is agreed upon by rapacious politicians but opposed by all experts and non-governmental and human rights organisations, not just the Bar Council …

it is clear that the current government and cabinet are afraid of the people’s voice,” he said.

The Bill which was tabled for the second reading and debated on since Tuesday, was objected to by Pakatan Rakyat MPs who questioned the hasty manner in which the Bill was tabled, which they claimed was politically motivated and had to do with the sodomy allegation against Anwar.

Following what Anwar said, several members including Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur) wanted to interject, resulting in a war of words between Lim and Tajuddin on the issue.

— Bernama