New Malaysia parliament opens with rowdy name-calling - AFP

The opening session of Malaysia's new parliament descended into noisy name-calling Wednesday as a newly emboldened opposition took on the government.

"Monkey" and "Bigfoot" were two of the epithets hurled in a rowdy session during which lawmakers shouted and gesticulated in heated exchanges across the floor of the chamber.

The scenes, broadcast live on television, were an indicator of the new shape of Malaysian politics after Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's coalition suffered its worst ever election results last month.

The March 8 polls saw his Barisan Nasional coalition, which has ruled the country for the last half century, lose its two-thirds majority in parliament as well as control of five states.

In response to the chaos, Information Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek threatened to pull the plug on the telecast, which was being trialled for the first time.

"Maybe there are people who love to watch circus, but parliament is not a circus," he said, adding that he would obtain feedback before deciding whether to continue with broadcasting.

[More at http://news.my.msn.com/regional/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1365683]