PUTRAJAYA should fill the vacant deputy Dewan Rakyat speaker’s post with a member of the opposition through a motion brought by the government, Azalina Othman Said said today.

The former deputy speaker, who resigned on August 23, said her resignation will provide an opportunity for the government and the opposition to “reset” the upcoming Dewan Rakyat sitting in September.

“It’s so obvious (the reset). It should be replaced by an opposition member but the motion must be brought by the government. This is what I mean by multi-partisan politics,” she said at a forum organised by the Asli and the Jeffrey Cheah Institute on Southeast Asia.

“This is the best opportunity for the prime minister to offer this as a gesture (to the opposition).”

The Pengerang MP said that this reform of electing an opposition lawmaker to the post of deputy speaker is not unachievable.

“This is achievable. If they do this and it is supported (by all), it will be fantastic for Malaysia’s parliamentary history,” she said.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and opposition pact Pakatan Harapan (PH) agreed to work together to strengthen the parliamentary institution and for the executive to function transparently to effectively serve the people.

Ismail, in a joint statement with PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, said during their hour-long meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya, they discussed the agenda to ensure the people’s well-being.

“This is to find common ground to handle the Covid-19 crisis, to save lives and to protect everyone from the pandemic,” the statement said.

“It is also to free the people from their economic hardship following job and income losses.” 

They said they have also agreed to strengthen the functions of Parliament to become a responsible and constructive institution and to provide checks and balances on the executive to be more transparent and ensure the needs of the people are taken care of.

They also agreed on the importance of judiciary independence and institutional reforms.

In quitting, Azalina, who is an Umno supreme councillor, cited moral, personal and political conflicts for her decision.

Her resignation comes amid talk that she is in line for a post in Ismail’s new cabinet.

She had served in former prime minister Najib Razak’s cabinet as minister in the prime minister’s department (law and Parliament) and, prior to this, as youth and sports minister for Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. – August 26, 2021.