KUALA LUMPUR: To Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Alice Lau Kiong Yieng, everyone sitting inside Malaysia’s august house is equal, and no one will be accorded special treatment, including those from government parties.

Lau, who is also the Member of Parliament for Lanang, told Sin Chew Daily, as Deputy Speaker, she had to be neutral and impartial when chairing the parliamentary sitting, not siding her own party DAP or government lawmakers.

“I know it is not easy to stay neutral, and it is impossible that everything I do will please everyone.

“I can’t do anything if you think I’ve done something not right. All I hope is that no one from the other side will think that I’m siding my own people.”

She recalled the incident in which she had to send three MPs out of the hall, namely PAS’ MP for Pendang Datuk Awang Hashim, MP for Arau Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, and DAP’s MP for Jelutong RSN Rayer.

“I had to send them out mainly because I hoped they would calm themselves down outside the hall. The progress of the sitting would be disrupted if they kept arguing inside the hall.

“As I also sent out a DAP rep, they were not happy I didn’t give them a chance to explain.”

She continued, “You mustn’t think that you have the privilege just because I am also from DAP. This is as if to say you can scold people but others can’t. You should know this very well!”

On the disparaging remark by some that she is just a “vase” with a pretty face but no ability, Lau said she wanted to prove with her own effort and ability that she could perform just as competently as her male colleagues in parliament.

Compared to Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Johari Abdul and Deputy Speaker Datuk Ramli Mohd Nor, Alice Lau has been adopting a rather gentle approach in chairing a parliamentary sitting.

However, she said she would not hesitate to take action against unreasonable behaviors by any lawmaker.

“In private, Shahidan and I have been friends since 2013. Even after I sent him out of the hall, he would still ring me up and say he didn’t get mad because I had sent him out.”

She said, as a matter of fact, any Member of Parliament can walk in and out of the hall freely during the sitting, but the issue of the ejection of MPs has been amplified by some in an attempt to create the impression that MPs are not given the right to speak.

“This is not an issue about the Speaker or Deputy Speaker. If you choose to walk out of the hall and not come back, you have to answer to yourself and your voters.

“Quarreling is a waste of time. While taking part in a debate, I tend to see MPs just walk out after a quarrel, and almost one whole hour has been wasted this way.”