MOHAMAD Ariff Md Yusof saw it from a mile away that Perikatan Nasional wanted to remove him as speaker.

The former Court of Appeal judge told The Malaysian Insight there were clear-cut signs pointing to his removal as Dewan Rakyat speaker even before the July seating.

“It was not a surprise. I knew it was coming. The signs were there.

“I am not a silly lawyer and I can read the signs. There were very negative vibes.

“But still I had the hope, the people will see the sense of not removing the speaker,” Ariff told The Malaysian Insight.

He said it is not convention anywhere in the world to remove a sitting speaker before parliament is dissolved and Malaysia has set a precedent.

“The speaker can be removed any time once the house is dissolved. That is how the system works. Other than Trinidad and Tobago, no speaker in the Commonwealth has been removed,” Ariff said, adding even the Caribbean island’s speaker was removed on corruption allegations.

Another tell-tale sign, the 71-year-old said, was his advice to extend the parliamentary session in May to more than a day went unheeded by the executive.

“If the leader of the house (prime minister) takes a position we have a one-day siting, the speaker can only advise, which I think I have done, that you can actually have more than a one day sitting.

“Ultimately by convention, you decide,” Ariff said.

When pressed further on what advice he gave Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, Ariff said it was confidential but it fell on deaf ears.

“That, I cannot say, but certainly I didn’t say we can only have a one day sitting.”

Several weeks later, Ariff said PN ministers were taking jabs at him on social media, pressuring him to leave office.

“A few weeks, another minister responded: ‘for the time being we will retain the speaker’. I thought in my mind this is not right.

“How can the executive be dictating terms like that? ‘For the time being’ – in fact, it was an insult to the office of the speaker,” Ariff said.

He also felt attacked when groups played up his past membership in Amanah, painting him as lacking impartiality when he was in power.

Muhyiddin submitted a motion to Parliament to change the speaker last week.

In a razor-thin division vote, 111 MPs said aye and 109 in the opposition said nay to the removal of Arif and his deputy, Nga Kor Ming.

Ariff said he allowed the motion to be put on the order paper but that did not mean he agreed with it.

“But it is your (PN) decision, ultimately it is your (PN) political decision. If you feel the need to remove the speaker, then give me a motion which I will sign immediately.

“Which they did, which I approved immediately. I have got no problems with that,” he said.

Former Election Commission chairman Azhar Azizan Harun replaced Ariff and Pengerang MP Azalina Othman Said took over Nga’s post.

Ironically, both Azalina and Azhar were Ariff’s former students and Azhar even worked under him at a law firm at one point.

“I wish them all the best. I couldn’t wish them otherwise, could I?”

Ariff was appointed judicial commissioner in 2008 and made full judge in 2009. He was then elevated to the Court of Appeal in 2012.

During his high court days, he presided over the 2009 Perak constitutional crisis. He also was the judge who removed the Home Ministry ban on Sister In Islam’s book titled Muslim Women and the Challenges of Islamic Extremism.

Instead of a black mark, Ariff said his removal as speaker is something positive which would lead to a lot of good outcome.

“Well, I don’t think it is a black stain. I have always been kind of like a courtroom lawyer. A courtroom lawyer has got very thick skin. I think perhaps my career has been boosted by this episode.” – July 23, 2020.