PARLIAMENT will convene on December 19 for two days. It will be the first day of the meeting of the Dewan Rakyat after a general election.

After the setiausaha reads the proclamation of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong by which the meeting is summoned, the first order of business is the election of a new speaker.

Article 57 of the Federal Constitution requires the Dewan Rakyat to elect a speaker and two deputy Speakers. The Dewan Rakyat shall not transact any business until a speaker is elected.

Every member of the Dewan Rakyat (MP) is entitled to propose a person who is either an MP or is qualified for election as an MP as a Speaker. The MP must ascertain that the person proposed is willing to serve if elected. The MP must then notify the setiausaha of his proposal in writing at least 14 days before the meeting.

The requirements of proposing a person, ascertaining the person is willing to be elected, and notifying the setiausaha 14 days before the election informs us that there should be transparency in the process.

After all, the person is to be elected speaker of the Dewan Rakyat. If “Rakyat” means people and “Dewan” House, then the Dewan Rakyat is the People’s House.

So why haven’t the nominees for speaker and deputy speakers been made known to the people?

Former Sungai Petani lawmaker Johari Abdul is Pakatan Harapan’s choice for speaker while Perikatan Nasional (PN) has nominated Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad for the position, according to sources. 

However, Johari was coy about his nomination while Radzi could not be contacted.

The Monday deadline has come and passed to notify the setiausaha of the nominees, whose willingness to be elected will have been ascertained by the proposer MP.

Step forward, nominees. “Malu apa?” – December 8, 2022.

* Hafiz Hassan reads the Malaysian Insight.