THE government followed procedure in nominating Dewan Rakyat speaker Mohd Ariff Md Yusof as his name was submitted to the Parliament secretary 14 days in advance as required, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said.

Loke was responding to the walkout staged by opposition MPs earlier over the manner of Mohd Ariff’s nomination.

“The question that the government did not follow the rules of the House does not arise,” the Seremban MP told reporters in the Parliament lobby.

He said Mohd Ariff’s name had been submitted to Dewan Rakyat secretary Roosme Hamzah on July 2, well before the first sitting today.

The chamber erupted in shouts this morning as opposition MPs from Barisan Nasional and PAS protested Mohd Ariff’s nomination, saying that the government had failed to abide by a 14-day notice for the speaker to be named before the Dewan Rakyat convenes.

All opposition MPs walked out in protest after Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad announced Mohd Ariff’s name, except for Khairy Jamaluddin (Rembau), Anifah Aman (Kimanis) and Rozman Isli (Labuan).

Loke criticised the walkout and asked if the opposition MPs were also going to boycott their own swearing-in as lawmakers.

“If they return to the chamber later to take their oaths, it means their action earlier was just to get attention,” he said.

At around 11.30am, Pekan MP Najib Razak and Bagan Datuk MP Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also Umno president, returned to the chamber. – July 16, 2018.