Parliament to summon Faizal Aboo, Pacific Group over  reaction to MP Suleman statement

Parliament has resolved to form an ad-hoc Privileges Committee to summon  the management of Pacific Group  of Faizal Aboo to explain the statement the private company issued on Blantyre City South East member of Parliament (MP) Sameer Suleman who commented about race, land ownership and economic opportunity.

Faizal Aboo: Pacific Group
MP Onani: Our privileges are being undermined by Pacific Group.

MPs from both the government and the opposition benches supported the motion to summon the Pacific Group over their statement on Suleman who claimed that two people own about 80 percent of Limbe, that attracted the reaction through a press statement from Aboo.

During the parliamentary deliberations on Tuesday, Ishmael Ndaila Onani, MP of Dedza South (Malawi Congress Party) presented a motion using Parliamentary Standing Orders, saying Pacific Group violated the Parliamentary Privileges legal instrument that protects MPs from outside interference on matters discussed in Parliament.

He said: “Our privileges are being undermined by Pacific Group. Our colleague is living in fear, he cannot visit his constituents freely because he feels threatened.

“An injury to one of us, is an injury to all of us. Regardless of the different political parties we belong to, we are all MPs. We need to be fair and just; we need to be protected Honourable Speaker.”

Mulanje Bale MP Victor Musowa (Democratic Progressive Party-DPP)  concurred with Onani, saying threatening people for speaking out on ills happening in our societies should not be condoned, adding Parliament represents the poor people’s voice who cannot confront the rich.

The resolution  to summon Pacific Group was then passed with a resounding ‘yes’ vote.

This follows a motion moved by Musowa last week in Parliament on racial discrimination allegedly propagated by foreign nationals against Malawians in work and entertainment places.

In his contribution to Musowa’s motion, Suleman, without mentioning names, said besides racial abuse, some foreign nationals are grabbing prime land in cities and towns at the expense of Malawians.

He claimed that 80 percent of the whole of Limbe central business district in Blantyre  is currently owned by two individuals and that of the two, one of them owns over 50 hectares where he is doing fish farming.

Suleman, a DPP MP,  further claimed to have a petition from the people of Chiwembe Housing where the unidentified business individual “displayed such arrogance as to build a fence right on the main road”.

The MP further claimed that the individual is about to be given 48 hectares by Blantyre City Council and Ministry of Lands in the area known as Chigumula Forest.

But  Pacific Group issued  a statement to react to Parliament discussion although Suleman refrained from directly naming the concerned party. The company said it was  convinced the legislator was referring to Pacific Group given that it is the only entity that operates a  fish farm in Limbe, known as Chambo Fisheries.

Pacific Group demanded that Suleman should withdraw his remarks in Parliament where he made the accusations, stating that the remarks were damaging the company’s reputation and may cause people to rise against it.

A newspaper columnist Ephraim Munthali  pointed out that Parliament can introduce the public’s right to reply.

He wrote: “ I suggest that those who feel injured by the statements of legislators should be allowed to write the Speaker and directly respond to accusations against them.”

Meanwhile, Speaker of Parliament Catherine Gotani Hara, who presided over the meeting, is scheduled to announce the ad-hoc committee any day from now.

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laws
laws
3 years ago

Is there any sense attacking people who can not defend themselves.ASSSH

GRM
GRM
3 years ago

Does it mean parliamentarians have licence to attack people at will? Someone must stop this dictatorship of Parliament.
While discussing this very important issue concerned citizens whether yellow, pink or brown coloured should be given chance to respond

Wondering Blues
Wondering Blues
3 years ago

Phwisa your guess is as good as mine. There is a million issues here playing a hand in the background. It’s quite frankly plain and simple to see. 1) MCP has and will always be a right centered nationalist Party. 2) it’s not about rich vs poor in Malawi it was once along time ago but now it’s who’s black and who’s not. 3) Being of the same religion and buying someone’s farm doesn’t mean loyalty. 4) Sameer Suleman isn’t the victim or being threatened how can a man beating up people visibly in broad daylight in parliament be intimidated… Read more »

Zoona
Zoona
3 years ago

Munthu wakuda samala. Ngati sumaziwa colonuzation mmene imabwerera ndi choncho. Amwenye mukuwalekelelawa nd ikumawapasa malo paliponsewa mu zina loti ndi amalawiwa muzalila. Now they are even threatening the existence of Paliamentarians. One can easly see where this is going and yet some malawians dont care. Kaya ndikupusa kapena kufasa kapena kupepela, i dont understand.We are the same people who support their businesses and thereby impowering them.Why are we so dam

Phwisa
Phwisa
3 years ago

The MPs should first deal with Blantyre City Council which is giving this man 48 acres of land. But if this man is buying because Blantyre City Council is offering this land then why is it an issue with Pacific Group. And why did the MPs start an issue in Parliament when they know the accused will not have chance to defend himself

Yonseyonse Sindyeka
Yonseyonse Sindyeka
3 years ago
Reply to  Phwisa

Chifukwa ma MP away ayamba ndipo ndi ozindikira kuposa iweyo!!

Nkangati olamula ndi otsutsa amagwira anampanga chinthu kupatula malipiro awo?

Keen Observer
Keen Observer
3 years ago
Reply to  Phwisa

Trade is demand & supply when there is no demand there can’t be supply so the buyer is liable for that.

Nchawa makanjira
Nchawa makanjira
3 years ago
Reply to  Keen Observer

Nonsenu zomwe mukukamba apa sizikumveka, ndinu mbuzi zokha zokha zamano kunsi, kusayenda ndikufa. Do u all know that these Indians are the modern Slave Dealers now? So plz my Malawi b carefull with these grand grand grand son’s and daughters of Prophet Muhammad, soon u will have no place u will call home

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