Lawmaker questions Dr M's authority to call for special sitting

A Pakatan Harapan parliamentarian has questioned Dr Mahathir Mohamad's authority as interim prime minister to call for a special Dewan Rakyat sitting to decide on a new government.

This is because under Clause 11(3) of the Dewan Rakyat Standing Order, which empowers the prime minister to call for a special sitting, is silent on the authority of an interim premier.

"He is an interim prime minister, not the prime minister. So, Clause 11(3) does not apply to him," the lawmaker told Malaysiakini today on the condition of anonymity.

"As such, why the interim prime minister wants to calls for a special sitting?" he asked.

Clause 11(3) of the Standing Orders allows the prime minister to ask the speaker of the House to reconvene the Dewan Rakyat earlier than scheduled, if this is required to serve the public interest.

The speaker is then required to issue a notice of the sitting to all MPs before it takes place. Clause 11(3) also allows the prime minister to set the agenda of the sitting.

Mahathir, who had met the Yang di-Pertuan Agong earlier today, told a press conference later that a parliamentary sitting would be convened on March 2 to decide on the new government.

The nonagenarian said the king found that no one has a clear majority to form the government, so the right forum to settle the matter is the Dewan Rakyat.

"So, parliament will be called on the second of next month (next Monday) in order to determine who gets majority support in the Dewan Rakyat to become the next prime minister," said Mahathir.

Meanwhile, PKR vice-president Chang Lih Kang questioned the need for a special sitting to decide on the new government when the king has already interviewed nearly all MPs on the matter.

"The Yang di-Pertuan Agong has yet to make any announcement, why Tun (Mahathir) announced that nobody commands the majority?

"The strangest part is I was made to understand that the king will discuss the matter at the Conference of Rulers tomorrow. Why the need to announce it today?" asked Chang, who is also the Tanjung Malim MP.

"I cannot think of other reasons except that the outcome may not be in his (Mahathir's) favour," he said.

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah had interviewed lawmakers on Tuesday and Wednesday to determine if anyone has sufficient support to form a government.

Following the interview, BN and PAS said they have withdrawn their support for Mahathir, while Harapan parties said they chose PKR president Anwar Ibrahim as the next prime minister. - Mkini