House Speaker Chuan Leekpai has reminded members of the Thai parliament to comply with its rules and regulations, saying that they are lawmakers and should behave as role models for other people.

He issued the reminder to all MPs after an incident on the first day of the debate on the budget bill on Monday, when parliamentary police got into an argument with two aides, reported to be working for Deputy Agriculture Minister Thammanat Prompow. The aides had tried to enter parliament in violation of a directive issued by Mr. Chuan, which stipulates that an MP can be accompanied by only one aide, as a safety measure against COVID-19.

Mr. Chuan offered moral support to the unnamed parliament police when they were summoned for a private meeting at parliament late Tuesday night, to hear their side of the story.

He said that a senior parliament official had asked the parliament police in question to apologise to Thammanat, adding that he had also instructed the secretary-general of the House of Representatives enter the incident into the formal record, so it could be used as a guideline for parliament police in their performance of duty.

The House Speaker said that most MPs have, however, complied with the regulation.

The Office of the Secretary-General of the House said, in a statement yesterday, that the parliament police officer involved had already apologised to Thammanat’s aides, but denied that he was made to prostrate himself before the deputy agriculture minister, as reported by some media.