There is no issue for Azalina Othman Said (BN-Pengerang) to chair Dewan Rakyat sessions despite her appointment as special adviser to the prime minister, said speaker Azhar Azizan Harun.
Earlier in today’s sitting, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (Harapan-Kulim Bandar Bharu) and Wong Hon Wai (Harapan-Bukit Bendera) urged Azalina – who was chairing the session from 2.30pm to 3.30pm – to recuse herself.
They said her position as the prime minister’s special adviser was a conflict of interest.
The two of them argued that Azalina’s new appointment means she is part of the executive.
They said she should not be put in a position where she can make rulings in the Dewan Rakyat that may be related to her role in the administration.
Azalina asked them to take the matter up with Azhar, as she was invited by the speaker under Standing Orders 7(3) to chair the session temporarily.
Wong later raised the issue again when Azhar took over chairing the Dewan Rakyat, to which the speaker said there is no conflict of interest as Azalina’s new appointment was not a minister-level position.
“She is not part of the administration or the executive. She is just an adviser who will advise the prime minister based on her opinion, knowledge, and wisdom.
“Since she is not a part of the executive, hence I do not see any problems with my request for her to chair the sitting,” Azhar explained.
He also said the issue of conflict of interest should be looked at dynamically as someone like him, who is not part of the executive, can also be in conflict of interest.
“So while she is chairing the session, as long as she does not have to make any rulings related to matters which she has given advice on, then she is not in conflict of interest.
“Just like me, a lot of people said I have conflict of interest with the attorney-general because he is my brother but I can still chair the session if the matter is discussed.
“But if I were to make a ruling (on the matter), that is when conflict of interest will arise and so I will recuse myself. It is the same with Pengerang,” he said.
However, Wong insisted the public will perceive Azalina to have a "huge" conflict of interest, being the special adviser to Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
As such, he advised the speaker to appoint someone else to chair the session instead of Azalina.
Azhar assured them he would ask Azalina, who is a former deputy speaker, to recuse herself if he believed she had a conflict of interest.
Last Saturday, it was announced that Azalina had been appointed as special adviser to the prime minister on law and human rights issues. - Mkini
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