A NOTICE of motion submitted by Langkawi MP Dr Mahathir Mohamad for Parliament to retain Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof as the Dewan Rakyat speaker for a full term has been rejected.

A letter signed by Ariff and dated May 5 informs Dr Mahathir of the rejection on grounds that the notice was submitted improperly.

It said Dr Mahathir’s notice was made under Standing Order 4 of the house’s rules, which pertains to the election of the Dewan Rakyat’s yang di-pertua (speaker) by the MPs.

“This notice should have been brought in accordance with Standing Order 27.

“I have studied the notice and find that it has not been raised in accordance with Standing Order 27. 

“As such, I do not allow the notice to be brought to the meeting,” Ariff said in the letter sighted by The Malaysian Insight.

Standing Order 27 pertains to the manner of giving notices, which among others, stipulates that a notice for a motion must be submitted not less than 14 days by an MP before the sitting, or seven days if it is by a minister.

According to Ariff’s letter, Dr Mahathir’s notice was submitted on May 4. 

The letter, however, does not specify which part of Standing Order 27 Dr Mahathir failed to fulfil.

The Langkawi MP and former prime minister’s notice was for a motion to retain the Dewan Rakyat speaker until Parliament is dissolved at the end of its current term.

Yesterday, it was reported that Dr Mahathir sent another notice to call a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

The speaker’s office is to issue a statement on the matter today.

The one-day sitting on May 18 will be the first session of the year.

It was delayed from its original date of commencement on March 9 after Pakatan Harapan was ousted from federal government.

The coalition fell through defections and plotting by former PKR leaders, a Bersatu faction, Umno and PAS in late February, and Muhyiddin formed the Perikatan Nasional government in early March.

PN said the one-day sitting will only be to hear the royal address and to approve government spending to mitigate the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

No question time will be held nor will motions by MPs be entertained.

Ariff, a former judge, was elected as speaker after PH won federal power in May 2018 and resigned from all his posts in Amanah to take up the post. – May 8, 2020.