Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has assured that action will be taken against Telecommunication and Digital Infrastructure Minister Harin Fernando for using foul language in Parliament.
Speaker, Karu Jayasuriya
Fernando had used abusive language against Opposition MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage, during an argument in Parliament this week. Following the incident, Joint Opposition Parliamentarian, Dinesh Gunawardena had urged Speaker Karu Jayasuriya to take action against Fernando for using abusive language in Parliament.
Meanwhile, in a video message broadcasted on his Facebook page, Fernando said that sometimes one is compelled to speak in the ‘same’ language against others when they resort to using such abusive language in Parliament themselves. He also said that Jayasuriya had taken a statement in this regard from him on Friday.
“As a responsible person, I am ready to apologise if I have made a mistake, but I was not the only one who used foul language, even though some of them won’t take responsibility for their actions,” Fernando said. He added that it was normal human nature to react in the same way when anyone fights with someone or argues with someone. “I am after all a normal human being, who practices politics and when they hurl insults, it was an automatic reaction,” the Minster said.
Fernando also went on to add that he did not fall onto the category where he started off his political career with a Rs. 10,000 monthly salary, but had the wealth to pay Rs. 300 million to the wife as a divorce settlement.
thrishu / May 22, 2016
I see. So how did Harin Fernando amassed such a fortune, no doubt working under MR or through moonlighting? Has he declared his interests?
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Brown Boy / May 22, 2016
I should be thrashed for calling you a retard. In this day and age political correctness I just couldnt come up with a better and more apt description for your ridiculous comment. Please do CAREFULLY read and UNDERSTAND before making idiotic statements in the future.
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Jagath Fernando / May 22, 2016
Nothing much will happen.
The two guys who fought in parliament last month got suspended for just one week.
Harin will we let off the hook with no punishment.
We elected these guys and we deserve it.
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silva / May 22, 2016
pissu thrishu,
Paiththiyan struck clown, it is not Harin but Mahindananda who paid 300m in divorce case. Don’t emit bullshit on matters you don’t know of.
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Estate Labourer / May 23, 2016
If Mahindananda’s Ex-wife wants to marry again, I am available. I can help her to spend and enjoy that 300 Million Rupees!
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Sama / May 22, 2016
I agree with PM RW – he always thought the new young men should ve years long exp if them to be awarded with minister position, but he made Harin a special case, focusing the UWA election victory which was due to the fantastic work done by Harin. Nevertheless the boy has proved, that he is no matured enough to hold the current position. The kind of senior experience is far from his… he hs betrayed UNP having failed to think before the leap interms of using the very same lanagague Joint opposition men are used. All other new men – HARD MEN in UNP should take this as an example… Parliament is turned to a mud pot.. where all low level men and women (pawithra wanni arachchi the bed pan) have abused their rights as of now. HOpe speaker will punish this man… saving all the good side of UNP…Ajith perera, Dr Harsha Silva, Eran wICKRAMratne are all really good educated men.. behave alsogood..I wish them to be offered better positions. The mentioned are able men .. basta.
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thrishu / May 23, 2016
oops….. I hope I am doing the right thing by placing a public apology here. Got the names transposed by mistake, very sorry Mr Harin F. I should not place blogs in a hurry next time.
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Justice & Fairplay / May 23, 2016
Thrishu, have you read what you have written? Havent you got your knickers caught up in a serious twist?
I am sure you wished to say something else, but ended up saying something quite different.
Anyway all this bad behaviour is an indication of what a POOR Speaker of the House we have. Easily the worst in living memory.
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Ben Hurling / May 23, 2016
It is not these lunatics who are unfit to take part in sittings at nation’s Supreme Council, The Parliament.
It is not even the stupid Sri Lankans who elect such monkeys to Sri Lanka’s legislature.
I hold corrupt SLFP & UNP responsible for nominating such unsuitable candidates for elections. Then not disciplining them when required either.
May I also add the Speaker is either powerless or spineless. Perhaps both. Applies to all successive Speakers. Not least the current one.
Oh, what a terrible shame!
PS:
Mr. Speaker, gather all your courage. Kick these idiots out of the Chamber. At once. Throw them into jail, when necessary. Teach them a lesson.
This sickened nation will worship you.
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Justice & Fairplay / May 23, 2016
Ben, I full agree with your comments. The entire nation will agree….
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rew / May 23, 2016
How about dealing with bucket mouths Weerawansa and Dinesh, before you even think of dealing with Harin.
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Noor Nizam / May 22, 2016
NO Mr. Speaker. This rowdy parliamentarian may try to get out of the situation by stating “As a responsible person, I am ready to apologise if I have made a mistake”, but the disciplinary parliamentary punishment should be meted out in full to this 3rd., grade politician, Mr. Speaker. Better if a severe punishment is given so that it will be a reminder to other parliamentarians NOT to misbehave like this thug of a UNP politician. May be he thought he was in a “CASINO” when he behaved so.
Can this indecency and FOUL language be used in parliament by an elected representative of parliament during debating in the well of the legislature? The video recording
[Edited out]
But the words “mother f……” has been deleted by the speakers office/parliament administration on the youtube release. The government, the leader of the UNP and the President through the office of the SPEAKER should take SEVERE action against (I do not want to call him Honourable) this UNCIVILIZED MP and he should be suspended from parliament for a month as a punishment. Police action also has to be constituted, if any for using indecent language in parliament, if the rule-of-law prevails. It is sad that the Speaker has removed the important part where Harin Fernando was heard saying “mother f*****” in Sinhalese but the words were later removed from the video posted on the Parliament website. I beg that all the TV stations (channels) should broadcast this video for the sake of the Nation to know what type of “DIRTY” UNP parliamentarians we have in parliament these day’s, not withstanding the fact that there are SLFP/JO parliamentarian of similar calibre too. The speaker and the parliament administration feeling ashamed of this dirty behaviour of a UNP MP/minister and removing/deleting it from the official parliament website is “TREACHEROUS” to DEMOCRACY and “RIGHT TO INFORMATION”. Colombo Gazette is the only media that has the gust to publish these types of TRUTH for the consumption of the reading public.
Noor Nizam. Peace and Political Activist, Political Communication Researcher, SLFP Stalwart and Convener “The Muslim Voice”.
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Snowden Edward Asange / May 22, 2016
Ummmm what beef u got with Harin to show so much vengence? You dont represent ALL muslims as the VOICE OF THE MUSLIMS I hope…another MR crony being paid mega bucks?
LOL@ SLFP. STAL-WART …seeking cheap publicity…
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resh / May 22, 2016
[Edited out]
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snowden Edward Asange / May 22, 2016
Oi Dinesh…where were YOU when Ur kcfu buddy Vasu used foul language on the PM RW ? How come Karu let Vasu off the hook n wants to punish Harin…? I dont approve Harins use of foul language nor boasting about his wealth …..but laws should be applied to all in the same manner…
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Mahesh / May 22, 2016
@thrishu
It’s Mahindananda who needed To 300 million for his divorce settlement.
Mahesh
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KA Sumanasekera / May 22, 2016
Am……Hu…is normally is the dialect of the dalits.
If one of our Dalit MPs called one of those Yahapalana Ministers a Mother Fucker, it wouldn’t have been that bad.
Dalits and Elite in the West use that term quite frequently.
And in fact they have made songs, which repeat that word many times when radio jocks play them.
But these blue eyed UNP, who are the self claimed custodians of all our virtues, language, and etiquette stoop to calling a fellow MP a mother fucker , when he can’t come up with a decent counter argument, is really pathetic.
.
Besides, these UNP MPS let alone the Ministers are not even supposed to use Sinhala let alone that sort of Sinhala.
Old UNP leaders like the Kothalawalas, Jayawaradans and Senanayakas must be crying in their graves
BTW, did this Young Catholic Minister go to the same school as those great majority of Yahapalana Minsters and their PM?.
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Sapumal / May 22, 2016
What ever Harin say is not acceptable to people who voted for a real change. We all know about Mahindananda and his gangs character very well. But that doesn’t means you have to be one of them by your actions. You have killed your character by your self. If you have to act like a real “Chandiya” or if you want to be someone like “choppe” in the parliament , resign from cabinet and stay away like Palitha Thewarapperuma. You not suitable to hold a post in the govt.i I sorry to say If I were the PM , I will kick you out. Be wise and decent in your actions when you represent people.
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Barus / May 22, 2016
In parliament, Foul language is the norm these days. Etiquette and manners are out the window. Basic reason being that none of the MPs have been educated in decent environments.
Noor Nizam certainly is not a voice of the Muslim community. His organisation send like a single letterhead+ rubber-stamp organisation.
Snowdon does not have a religious tone to this comment.
All MPs of today’s are not going to solve our problems. There are going to aggravate it further by introducing ways and means to duck is dry.
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Noor Nizam / May 22, 2016
Hello Barus. You are really BORU.
A group of lawyers, moulavis, student leaders and businessmen, senior citizens and Muslim members of political parties,retired Muslim bankers,Muslim University lecturers, especially a lady and Muslim freelance journalists are NOT single and do CANNOT be called under a “RUBBER STAMP” – The Muslim Voice.
The Muslim Voice is a “MOVEMENT”, the VOICE of the Sri Lankan MUSLIMS who have been deceived by the CORRUPT Muslim Politicians, Civil Society Leaders and some among the Muslim Clergy.”Due drops of water make the mighty ocean” and thanks to web-newspapers like the COLOMBOTELEGRAPH.COM, our voice though in the “WILDERNESS” is now heard in the home of the deceived and BETRAYED Muslims all around Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan Muslim Community expatriates living abroad.
Government VVIP’s like the PM, President Maithripala Sirisena are looking at our “COMMENT CONTENTS” in order to understand the ISSUES of the Sri Lankan Muslim Community.The Muslim Voice wishes to express our sincere thanks for this small recognition that will indeed help the Muslim Voice to grow as a future”POLITICAL VOICE” of the Sri Lankan Muslim Community. Even Former Mahinda Rajapaksa has appreciated our daring frankness in bringing out facts and even challenging some of his government’s actions that have been detrimental to the Sri Lanka Muslim Community, because he failed in the last two elections in 2015 listening to the unscrupulous Muslim party leaders and Muslim Ministers from smaller Muslim parties who were in the UPFA and were benefiting so much, but for personal gains and to cover up their corruptions (highlighted in the media and TV) stabbed Mahinda in the back and made the nearly 480,000 Muslim vote bank to vote the present President and government to power. It is because that the MUSLIM VOICE is a political and Muslim Community “VOICE” that is being heard, YOU too had a comment to make about the MUSLIM VOICE in this column today.
Noor Nizam. CONVENER “THE MUSLIM VOICE”, Peace and Political Activist, Political Communication Researcher and SLFP Stalwart
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Noor Nizam / May 22, 2016
The Muslim Voice is a “MOVEMENT”, the VOICE of the Sri Lankan MUSLIMS who have been deceived by the CORRUPT Muslim Politicians, Civil Society Leaders and some among the Muslim Clergy.”Due drops of water make the mighty ocean” and thanks to web-newspapers like the COLOMBOTELEGRAPH.COM, our voice though in the “WILDERNESS” is now heard in the home of the deceived and BETRAYED Muslims all around Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan Muslim Community expatriates living abroad.
Government VVIP’s like the PM, President Maithripala Sirisena are looking at our “COMMENT CONTENTS” in order to understand the ISSUES of the Sri Lankan Muslim Community. The Muslim Voice wishes to express our sincere thanks for this small recognition that will indeed help the Muslim Voice to grow as a future”POLITICAL VOICE” of the Sri Lankan Muslim Community. Even Former Mahinda Rajapaksa has appreciated our daring frankness in bringing out facts and even challenging some of his government’s actions that have been detrimental to the Sri Lanka Muslim Community, because he failed in the last two elections in 2015 listening to the unscrupulous Muslim party leaders and Muslim Ministers from smaller Muslim parties who were in the UPFA and were benefiting so much, but for personal gains and to cover up their corruptions (highlighted in the media and TV) stabbed Mahinda in the back and made the nearly 480,000 Muslim vote bank to vote the present President and government to power. It is because that the MUSLIM VOICE is a political and Muslim Community “VOICE” that is being heard, YOU too had a comment to make about the MUSLIM VOICE in this column today.
Noor Nizam. CONVENER “THE MUSLIM VOICE”, Peace and Political Activist, Political Communication Researcher and SLFP Stalwart
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moderate / May 22, 2016
Many of you have got your tails twisted! Obviously he was not talking about his wealth or divorce! He was referring to Aluthgamage!!!!
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citizen silva / May 22, 2016
It was pity to note the Government has become a mockery from the Parliament to Pradeshiya Sabha although nearly two years passed nothing had done.Even in the Parliament Mahinda faction had become a force to reckon with sadly Hon.Speaker had become too democratic letting the decently decorum been a victim, being ex-army officer he must be able to control house more effectively.During period of Hon.Rajapaksa Ex Speker & Dep. Speaker Gamini Fonseka they control house very disciplined manner being ex Police officer & hero cine world.Mahinda mania is so powerful a DIG had a hand in getting hammered a witness in corruption case knowing very well he can get scot free as like Thadujeen case senior police officer play hide & seek.Even corruption cases it appears touch & go policy which had let the yahapalanayaa government serious accusation which cannot eacape.Now JO had put the government to the wall if Government not act fast it wiil be catastrophe,either they fight or soon ,sadly & surely it will be end of yahapalanaya.As person who had suffered immensely last 5years that is the last thing I want to see.It is up to high ups of the Government take remedial action.
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Devaka Jayasuriya / May 22, 2016
Folks watch this what Sarath Wijesuriya says in his Book launch ! Unbelievable .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVhdUKnVFD4
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Spring Koha / May 22, 2016
What a sad day! The smarter Josephians I came to know from long-ago Maradana days were noted for setting and maintaining standards. Not following or being baited to sink to depths that others plumbed. “He did it, so I’ll do it” is the call sign of a loser, whatever his position and status in life is. All that good education, wasted.
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Saro / May 22, 2016
Harin Fernando: “it was normal human nature to react in the same way when anyone fights with someone or argues with someone. “I am after all a normal human being, who practices politics and when they hurl insults, it was an automatic reaction,” the Minster said.
You are not a “normal human being” when in parliament where the whole world is watching you, your speech and behaviour. Unless you rise above normal laymen you are not fit to be an MP but just a layman.
Also if you cannot speak decent language and behave decently you are not normal human but someone who appear to be human – less human or subhuman.
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Sapumal / May 22, 2016
Exactly! You are dead right.As a person who attended his first Uwa province CM campaign,I will say what is wrong is wrong.
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silva / May 22, 2016
The imbecilic jokers commenting here are pretending to be like a “chuu baren ambarena girl” upon hearing a kunuharupa. But they are more dangerous than the horaa Mahindananda Alughgamage. Even the speaker seems to be a joker here because when that pakaya Vasidewaya called RW pakaya he did not do anything against that pakaya Vasidewaya. The motherfuckers in the MARA faction have been using an abundance of abusive words all along but neither the speaker or the fucking clowns jumping up and down here spilled a word against it. The other day those wesigeputhala rala threatened Parliamentary Secretary to remove his trousers but the speaker did nothing except wanking looking at it. The situation of the parliament degraded to this low because this KJ clown did nothing against the culprits who are abusing the parliamentary privileges. It is against this background that Harin had to finally return them with their own medicine and I don’t see any wrong in Harin doing that. I for him I would cut the testicles of the fucker and hang them from his neck given the inconvenience and disturbance they cause to the day-to-day running of the parliamentary affairs. I recommend they round up these motherfuckers and hit their Mickey Mouse and kitchen sinks out of the fuckers hora panchaskanda.
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Lelawathie Jayathilaka / May 23, 2016
But the problem, even Aluthgamage et al remained witout being taken to custody. Why ? I hate to listen to the kind of men to set their aggressive speeches in the parliament. If the current govt would be that poweful, at least this men could already be caught putting aside the money grabs alleged to have carried out by Rajaakshe men.
Is that true ALthugamage parents should have over hundreds of acres as he repeatedly adds to the news ? Why cant current adminsitration do their job cornering these men – we have no more patience – these men deserve jail sessions. All high profile robbers are still in action due to the weak performance of current regime.
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CK / May 22, 2016
At least he took the responsibility for his mistakes and apologized it rare to see any politician take responsibility. I appreciate HF for that. If anyone listen to that video clip you will here the loud screams from the other side and some one is saying “katha kalaata vadak naha kisi dheyak ahenne na” I think Ekabaddha vipakshaya has driven HF into this situation it just came out of his mouth. If he must be punished there are many more in the parliament who must be punished especially who disturb the day to day activities in the parliament.
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Sirisena Yatawara / May 22, 2016
What UNP leader has to do sack Harin Fernadopulla for his Ministership promptly.
Member of Parliament has to know that Parliament is most powerful institution of sovereignty of country and its people.
Harin Fernadopulla cannot speak filth in public that is insult to citizens to our country. He himself was degenerated in morally and while degraded the values Parliament.
I have no idea his background of Education at all!
Primer and leader of UNP must set example for other by dismissed his Ministership by promptly.
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Sama / May 23, 2016
Then the manner Mahinda Rajaakshe speak on public stages, he should long be removed
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Jeremy Ludikins / May 23, 2016
In both these instances, there was a fight involving two sides of the house. But it is the UNPers who have got caught ultimatlely. How? Whatever said and done Parliament is not the place for rowdy acts. I am happy that at least this Speaker is adopting a no nonsense attitude. But alas he can only suspend only for one week.
Good old days even for not so serious fights six painful cuts to the bottom was the order in boy’s schools. But subsequently the maximum was only one stroke and even that the teacher is not supposed to raise his hand and now nothing, perhaps write 100 lines promising not to fight again. Parliamentary punishments seem to be like that.
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BBS Rep / May 23, 2016
“I am after all a normal human being, who practices politics”
I disagree.
You are a normal Sri Lankan Buddhist human being who practices politics – meaning a defrauder, a cheat, a foul mouthed lout and so forth.
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Upali Weerasinghe / May 23, 2016
Our Parliament is worse than a ‘Kolam Maduwa’ Joint opposition has made it worse. All miscreants should be given the maximum possible punishment. Nothing should be deleted from the Hansard as we should know the caliber of the people we have sent to parliament. Also debates should be telecast live.
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a teacher of year dot / May 23, 2016
Where did this Politician learn to tender an apology for his errant behaviour ? Where indeed do kids say ..well I am not the only one ..What comes out of you only speaks about you Sir not about the other one , not even about those who provoked you .In another country in another era the party would have booked you on this type of behaviour , but your skipper is silent .Your alma mater weeps.
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