DEWAN Rakyat Speaker Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof has dismissed Mohd Shafie Apdal’s notice for a motion to show Dr Mahathir Mohamad has the support of a majority of MPs.

In a letter today to the Semporna MP, the speaker said Shafie’s application was unconstitutional as it questioned the power of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in appointing the prime minister.

“As such, I reject your application for the motion to be brought at the sitting,” he said in his letter.

Shafie, who is also Sabah chief minister, had earlier today confirmed writing the letter to the speaker seeking the tabling of the motion when the Dewan Rakyat sits on May 18.

Shafie’s motion is aimed at showing Dr Mahathir has more support than Muhyiddin Yassin to be the prime minister.

In a separate letter, Dr Mahathir had informed the speaker of his intention to call for a motion of no confidence against Muhyiddin.

Sources said Dr Mahathir’s letter to Ariff was dated May 4, fulfilling the 14-day criteria before the May 18 Parliament sitting.

MPs who want to bring motions to the Dewan Rakyat must do so 14 days before the session begins.

With his motion, Dr Mahathir, who is Langkawi MP, aims to show that Muhyiddin does not enjoy the support of the majority of MPs to be prime minister.

The speaker can similarly reject Dr Mahathir’s notice for the motion just as he had rejected Shafie’s.

The May 18 one-day Parliament sitting is for the new Perikatan Nasional government to discuss matters and legislation related to the Covid-19 pandemic and its stimulus package.

The sitting will also be the first for Muhyiddin as prime minister after taking over on March 1.

He had earlier pulled his party, Bersatu, out of the Pakatan Harapan pact, resulting in the collapse of the federal government.

The turmoil began with Dr Mahathir’s resignation as prime minister on February 24.

He then agreed to return as the prime minister with the support of other PH parties but Muhyiddin had, by then, garnered the support of Umno, PAS and Sarawak ruling pact GPS to show to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong that he could form the next government.

Dr Mahathir remains in Bersatu and was elected unchallenged as the party’s chairman while Muhyiddin is facing a challenge from Mukhriz Mahathir for the president’s post in the forthcoming party polls.

Earlier today, PKR president Anwar Ibrahim had said PH has agreed to nominate the PKR president as the opposition leader. – May 7, 2020.