No special sitting on Monday, rules speaker


The Malaysian Insight

The political impasse on who should be the next prime minister continues after the Dewan Rakyat speaker says Parliament won’t sit on Monday. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Afif Abd Halim, February 28, 2020.

THERE will be no special Dewan Rakyat sitting on Monday, said house speaker Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof despite a request to do so by interim prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Ariff said the request to hold a special sitting did not contain complete motions of parliament as required under standing order 11(3).

“I am also of the view that the need to hold a special session of the Dewan Rakyat should be done after getting an official notice from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong concerning the process of choosing a prime minister,” he said in a statement today.

The special Dewan Rakyat meeting had been requested by Dr Mahathir to break the country’s current political impasse after Pakatan Harapan collapsed from the defection of more than 35 MPs on Sunday.

Currently, no single party or individual commands majority support in the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat in order to form the government or be appointed the prime minister.

Dr Mahathir said the special sitting will determine who enjoys majority support to be prime minister, failing which snap elections will be called.

PH leaders have chided Dr Mahathir for usurping the powers of the Agong by making the announcement.

This since the Agong is meeting with the other Malay rulers to discuss the results of his survey with all 222 MPs on who they want as prime minister. – February 28, 2020.


Sign up or sign in here to comment.


Comments


  • Even the Speaker against Dr M, so looks like Dr M wasnt happy with the Agong and hence went ahead to announce the special sitting despite Agong having right to choose the PM.

    Posted 4 years ago by Kinetica Cho · Reply

  • The Speaker initially enthusiastically agreed with Dr Mahathir. Apparently, after having probably been roasted by several influential quarters he suddenly realised his constitutional responsibilities. Well done :))

    Posted 4 years ago by Simple Sulaiman · Reply