Ali Biju: Anwar wrong, not speaker’s job to determine PM’s majority

 

Deputy Energy and Natural Resources Minister Ali Biju has dismissed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s criticism of Dewan Rakyat speaker Azhar Azizan Harun as being “unfit for the job”.

Anwar had claimed Azhar failed to inform Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin about his loss of majority after several Umno MPs withdrew their support for him.

However, Ali said the speaker has no power under the Federal Constitution to inform the prime minister as to whether he has the majority.

“By virtue of Article 43(4) of the Federal Constitution, it is ultimately the prime minister who decides as to whether he commands the majority in the Dewan Rakyat.

“If the speaker presumes to officially inform the PM as to whether he has the majority, the speaker would be acting beyond his jurisdiction and power,” he said in a statement.

Yesterday, Anwar was quoted by The Vibes as questioning whether Azhar was trying to prop up an ailing government which has apparently lost its majority.

Anwar Ibrahim

Ali, who was formerly PKR’s vice-president before switching his allegiance to Perikatan Nasional last year, questioned whether Anwar was deliberately ignoring the Constitution.

“It is utterly shameful that the leader of the opposition, who has been an MP for decades, is totally ignorant of this fact or worse, he is fully aware of it but is deliberately misleading the public in order to unleash a scurrilous attack upon the speaker and the august institution of Parliament.

Describing his former boss’s attacks on the speaker as “unbecoming and totally malicious”, Ali also took a swing at the opposition leader’s ambition to become the prime minister.

“Has Anwar, in his desperation to become prime minister, lost the plot and is now reverting to mudslinging of the ugliest kind to incite the public, and to what purpose?

The Saratok MP reminded Anwar that the prime minister had already set Sept 7 for a motion of confidence to be brought before Dewan Rakyat.

“Anwar Ibrahim’s lack of patience is his Achilles’ Heel and has never served him well.

“He should learn from his past impatience which has put him where he is today,” Ali said.

Muhyiddin has the support of 23 Umno MPs at most, after 15 Umno MPs turned on him.

This would mean that Muhyiddin only has support from 100 MPs - 11 shy of a simple majority. - Mkini