Pandikar says he did quit but backtracked after PM agreed to deal with his complaints

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia says he changed his mind about quitting after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak agreed to address his complaints. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Afif Abd Halim, May 19, 2015.

Dewan Rakyat speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia today said that he had submitted his resignation letter to Datuk Seri Najib Razak but decided to stay put after the prime minister agreed to address his complaints.

That being the case, he decided to continue as Parliament speaker.

Pandikar Amin said he had met Najib for a meeting at the Parliament building on March 19 and the prime minister agreed to his suggestions on improving parliamentary proceedings.

"Najib at the time did not read my (resignation) letter… he didn't even want to hold it.

"Instead, he asked me what problems I had as speaker," he said today.

Pandikar Amin made the announcement during a press conference at his official residence in the capital, a day after former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Pandikar Amin was trying to "shame" him by denying his intention to resign in a private meeting between both men.

"He is shaming me by saying he never told me that. He told me he does not want to be speaker anymore and that he was unhappy with how he was being treated.

"He even told me he had sent in his resignation to the prime minister and will be communicating his decision to the PM," Dr Mahathir had told reporters after the launch of his new book, a compilation of letters he had written to other world leaders during his tenure as prime minister.

He said it was "not nice" for Pandikar to deny the episode altogether.

Dr Mahathir spoke about Pandikar Amin quitting during a forum on Saturday, but the speaker refuted this hours later, saying he would stay on as speaker.

Today, Pandikar told reporters that neither he nor Dr Mahathir had lied when statements were made on his alleged resignation.

"Mahathir did not lie and I did not lie either. All this is known by the prime minister."

Pandikar said he had told Najib he wanted to resign as he was not happy with the way things were being run in Parliament.

- TMI