Ibrahim Ali snores in Parliament: I fell asleep because I had fever

by  Melissa Lee

He has done it again. Pasir Mas MP and Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali stirred up laughter around the country and throughout cyberspace when he was snapped snoring in Parliament on Wednesday.

And he did not deny it, putting it down to the cough mixture he had been taking.

"I must have dozed off for a couple of minutes, but the picture has been published on the Internet as though I sleep all the time in the Dewan Rakyat. Even US President Barack Obama must have seen that picture of me!," Bernama reported him as saying.

His fame may not be as global as he thinks but certainly, the snapshot of him sprawled with his head nearly horizontal to his body was the craze in Malaysian cyberspace, sparking snide laughter because Ibrahim is not really that lovable a personality.

The pint-sized but tubby Perkasa chief can at the drop of a hat transform into an extremist Malay rights champion. He is known for his outrageous speeches and has previously called for holy war against the Christians in the country.

Devoid of capital

This nasty streak showed up when he blasted the person who had snapped the picture. To him, the photographer was "devoid of capital" to attack him during a vulnerable moment. He must really hate Perkasa, slammed Ibrahim.

Later, when speaking during the debate on the Postal Services Bill 2011, Ibrahim raised the matter and defended himself, insisting that he has always been among the more active lawmakers.

Deputy Speaker of the House Ronald Kiandee backed him up, saying it was wrong of the individual, whoever it was, to have snapped the picture.

Speculation is of course rife that the photographer was a fellow MP.

"Even if you want to tarnish me, find a reasonable issue, but whatever attack it is, this is an honor for me," said Ibrahim, but even he could not hold back his laughter and guffawed with the rest of the House.

Source : MC