Anwar to return to Parliament as Opposition Leader: All eyes on Speaker's post

Anwar Ibrahim is set to return to Parliament on Monday as Opposition Leader, after members of his tripartite Pakatan Rakyat coalition confirmed they have thrown their support behind the charismatic 64-year-old former deputy prime minister.

Anwar, now the de-facto leader of the PKR or the People's Justice Party, had indicated his reluctance to remain the Opposition chief after coalition partner DAP won 8 seats more than the PKR's 30 in the May 5 general election. PAS, the other partner, won 21.

Together, the Pakatan parties control 89 seats compared to the 133 controversially won by Prime Minister Najib Razak's Umno-BN coalition but in terms of the popular vote, the Pakatan holds 51% and this gives them a powerful if unofficial say over the country's governance.

"It has been confirmed Anwar will be the Opposition Leader again," a top-level Pakatan source told Malaysia Chronicle.

"He is the obvious choice and put it this way, he has more than earned his stripes. At this point in time, no one else in the Opposition can mobilize public support or is able to pull the different ethnic groups together better than he can."

Challenge for Speaker's post

Malaysia's lower House of Representatives or Dewan Rakyat will convene on Monday for its first session since the May 5 general election, the most controversial and divisive ballot ever seen in the country with the Opposition refusing to concede defeat and demanding re-elections in 30 seats.

Anwar and his Pakatan colleagues are due tol take their oath tomorrow alongside their rivals from the Umno-BN.

A one-hour Q&A (question-and-answer) session of the Dewan Rakyat sitting may also be carried live on national television, but final confirmation for the telecast is still pending from Communications and Multimedia Minister Shabery Cheek.

According to the Dewan Rakyat's calendar, the first meeting will begin with the appointment of the Speaker, the swearing-in of Members of Parliament and the tabling of a motion to appoint two Deputy Speakers. All the three ceremonies must be completed before the King - the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah - officially opens the Parliament meeting on Tuesday.

Most watched will be the 'contest' for the influential post of Speaker. The Umno-BN has announced it wishes to retain Umno MP Pandikar Amin Mulia for the post, with Beluran MP Ronald Kiandee as Deputy Speaker.

The Opposition wants a more neutral person for the Speaker's post and has nominated a non-politician. Retired Federal Court judge Abdul Kadir Sulaiman has accepted the Pakatan's nomination for the Speaker's post, while Tumpat MP Kamaruddin Jaafar has been nominated as Deputy Speaker.

Anwar and Pakatan have also demanded voting for the posts be done by secret ballot, otherwise it would be "an exercise in futility" given the pressure on the Umno-BN MPs to vote based on party line although many have privately voiced their disagreement over Pandikar's frequent bias during previous sessions.

MORE TO COME

Malaysia Chronicle