After video resurfaces, speaker says he's consistent on no-confidence motion - report

 

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun has reportedly maintained he has been consistent in his views regarding motions of no confidence in the august house.

This came after a 2015 video where Azhar explained the legal aspects of such a motion had resurfaced online, following his letter why a no-confidence motion cannot happen.

“Watch the video again, it reinforces what I said. Order of business is set by the government. Government business comes first everywhere. That reinforces what I said.”

“In Malaysia, according to Standing Order 14(2), a minister must stand up to argue the motion. What inconsistencies are they talking about – I have not been inconsistent,” he reportedly told The Malaysian Insight according to a report today.

Azhar’s letter was written in response to Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who had urged Azhar to allow a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to be debated in parliament.

Azhar, who is a lawyer by training, pointed to the Dewan Rakyat’s Standing Order 14 and 15.

He explained that based on the Standing Orders, government business will always take precedence over non-government business.

This is unless it receives backing from a minister.

However, Simpang Renggam MP Maszlee Malik argued that a workaround exists to circumvent the hurdle and push ahead with the no-confidence motion.

He said he had filed a motion under Standing Order 90 (2) to seek the suspension of Standing Order 15(1) and several related orders.

“This means through my motion, I have asked the Dewan Rakyat to make a decision to suspend government business while the no-confidence motion by the Langkawi MP (Dr Mahathir Mohamad) is being read out and debated first.

“This motion is not to complicate the present political turmoil at a time when the people face catastrophe but to put an end to it.

“If MPs see it as important for the no-confidence vote to be given priority, then they can support this motion so that the no-confidence motion can be heard and be decided upon,” he said in a statement on Facebook today.

Iskandar Puteri MP Lim Kit Siang, meanwhile, suggested Azhar take his own initiative to invoke Standing Order 90 to suspend Standing Order 15, and then allow the no-confidence motion to proceed.

“Azhar must, however, be prepared to be speaker of Parliament for a shorter term than the previous speaker, Mohamad Ariff Md Yusoff,” he said in a statement. - Mkini