May 01, 2008	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 24, 1429

KUALA LUMPUR, April 30: The first debate in Malaysia’s new parliament descended into noisy name-calling on Wednesday as a newly emboldened opposition took on the government.

Monkey and Bigfoot were two of the epithets used in a rowdy session during which lawmakers shouted and gesticulated in heated exchanges across the floor of the chamber.

The scenes were an indicator of the new shape of Malaysian politics, after Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s governing coalition suffered its worst ever election results last month.

The March 8 polls saw his Barisan Nasional coalition, which has ruled the country for the last half century, lose its two-thirds majority in parliament as well as control of five states.

The first sitting of Malaysia’s 12th parliament was delayed by more than 20 minutes as government and opposition parliamentarians hurled barbs and raised technical issues.

Opposition Democratic Action Party chairman and lawmaker Karpal Singh began by questioning the way the session was being held when he was distracted by a government MP, Bung Moktar Radin. “I hope Bigfoot... does not disrupt the proceedings,” Karpal taunted him.

“Bigfoot, sit down.” Bung sprang from his chair, shouting: “I am bigfoot, you are big monkey.” Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia struggled to control the situation.—AFP