Harapan to challenge legality of new Malacca assembly speaker

Pakatan Harapan will file a legal challenge against the validity of Malacca Umno chairperson Abdul Rauf Yusoh's appointment as the new Malacca state assembly speaker.

This was revealed by Malacca Harapan chief Adly Zahari (above) who criticised Perikatan Nasional's conduct at the state assembly sitting yesterday when it reconvened the state assembly without the opposition to appoint their own speaker.

"Harapan held a discussion with its legal team and through its speaker and deputy speaker will file an originating summons to challenge the validity of the Abdul Rauf's appointment as the speaker and Rim assemblyperson (Ghazale Muhamad) as deputy speaker," he said in a statement.

The one-day Malacca assembly sitting yesterday descended into chaos as PN and Harapan assemblypersons engaged in a shouting match and hurled insults at each other after House speaker Omar Jaafar rejected a motion for his removal.

This prompted Omar, who was appointed by the previous Harapan government, to adjourn the sitting.

However, PN assemblypersons returned to the House later during the absence of Omar and opposition assemblypersons to appoint their own speaker.

PN had sought to gain control of the House proceedings after taking over the Malacca government.

The Harapan government collapsed in Malacca after Bersatu defected to PN.

"PN's move to reconvene the state assembly sitting challenges the House's rules and speaker's power," said Adly.

He noted that PN had also approved the appointment of new senators to represent Malacca at the federal level after appointing their own speaker.

Adly maintained that all decisions made by the House under the "new" speaker were not valid.

"It goes to show the Malacca Umno chair's greed for power that he would relegate the institution of the Malacca assembly," he said.

Adly expressed disappointment at yesterday's events, adding that the House should have been discussing the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The people's interest should be prioritised over the personal agenda of a certain group," he said. - Mkini