AZHAR Azizan Harun was installed the new speaker of the Dewan Rakyat without a vote after Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin proposed his name.

The decision to invite Azhar as speaker was greeted with derision by the opposition bench, which had expected the matter to be put to a vote.

The opposition wanted the sitting of the House to be suspended for 14 days to allow all MP’s to nominate an alternative candidate.

But Deputy Speaker Mohd Rashid Hasnon rejected the request. 

The heckling continued as Azhar took the oath of office amid shouts of “shame on you” from the opposition.

Kasthuriraani Patto (DAP-Batu Kawan) was heard shouting: “Who voted for this speaker? Who voted for this speaker? Where’s the vote?”  

The new speaker responded by ordering Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad out of the chamber.

“You are suspended till the end of today’s meeting,” Azhar told Khalid.

The ejection restored some order and Azhar continued his speech accepting the position of speaker.

Azhar replaces Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof, who was removed by the House earlier today by a razor thin 2-vote margin.

The motion for Ariff to vacate the post was passed 111 to 109, out of 222 MPs in the house.

Rashid, who presided over the session, did not vote, while Maximus Ongkili (Kota Marudi-PBS) was absent on sick leave.

After Rashid rejected the opposition’s request to nominate an alternative candidate, he asked Muhyiddin to proceed with Azhar’s nomination.

Muhyiddin’s motion to nominate the former Election Commission chairman states that Azhar has agreed to serve in the post.

MPs then begin shouting over government lawmakers’ arguments that Azhar is the sole candidate for the post and thus did not require a vote.

Azhar sat in the speaker’s chair as opposition MPs continued to protest with shouts of “Backdoor speaker!” and “Speaker haram! (illegitimate)”. – July 13, 2020.