Review rules on bringing objects to chamber, Legco president says

Legislative Council president Tsang Yok-sing has requested a Legco committee study on whether there is a need to amend the council's rules of procedure to address intimidating acts in the chamber.

Tsang said the current rules only allowed the meeting's chairman to order lawmakers who acted in a disorderly manner to leave the chamber - which he said might not be adequate to protect the safety of officials attending council meetings.

'It may be appropriate to introduce provisions in the rules of procedure to regulate the bringing of objects into the chamber which may obstruct members and public officers attending council meetings or pose a threat to their personal safety,' he said in a letter to Chief Secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen.

Tang wrote to Tsang on Friday - a day after lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung threw a banana-shaped prop during Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen's question-and-answer session - urging him to look into disorderly conduct in the chamber.

Leung also brought a mop into the chamber and tried to run to the chief executive after throwing the prop, but was stopped by security guards.

In his reply to Tang, Tsang said he noticed doubts had been raised in various quarters that the current rules might not be adequate to allow for measures that would prevent repeated disorderly conduct.