Four ex-MPs return to Parliament as senators

 

Four former MPs returned to Parliament today, albeit as members of the Dewan Negara.

They are former Kimanis MP and Parti Cinta Sabah president Anifah Aman, former Lumut MP and Amanah elections director Mohd Hatta Md Ramli, former Cameron Highlands MP and MIC vice-president C Sivarraajh, and former Tenom MP Noorita Sual.

Appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, they were among 16 new senators sworn in today.

Anifah was a former foreign minister and is the brother of former Sabah chief minister Musa Aman.

Last year, he campaigned alongside Pakatan Harapan leader Anwar Ibrahim in Sabah.

Anifah Aman

Since December last year, Sivarraajh’s senatorship was already being speculated as he agreed to unofficially withdraw from the Padang Serai election and support a Pakatan Harapan candidate, who was eventually unsuccessful.

Other notable new politically-linked senators are disabled activist Isaiah D Jacob, Manolan Mohamad, and native rights lawyer Abun Sui Anyit.

All three are PKR members while Abun Sui is the Sarawak PKR deputy chief. 

This marked Abun Sui’s first time as a lawmaker after multiple unsuccessful attempts to be elected at the state and Parliament level. As for Manolan, a notable Orang Asli activist, his first stint was between 2018 and 2021.

The full list of new senators is as follows:

RA Lingeshwaran (appointed by Penang state assembly)
Amir Ghazali (PKR, appointed by Penang state assembly)
Hussin Ismail (PAS, appointed by Terengganu state assembly)
Abdul Nasir Idris (PAS, appointed by Kedah state assembly)
Musoddak Ahmad (PAS, appointed by Kedah state assembly)
Anifah Aman* (PCS, Labuan)
Isaiah D Jacob* (PKR, Kuala Lumpur)
Manolan Mohamad* (PKR)
Low Kian Chuan* (president of ACCCIM)
Awang Sariyan* (former Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka director)
Mohd Hatta Md Ramli* (Amanah)
C Sivarrajh* (MIC)
Mohd Hasbie Muda* (Amanah)
Abun Sui Anyit* (PKR)
Noorita Sual* (DAP)
Roderick Wong Siew Lead* (DAP)

[*Appointed by the king]

Currently, there are 65 members of the Dewan Negara, up from 51 prior to the general election last November. The maximum number allowed by the constitution is 70.

There are 17 members who are part of the opposition in the Dewan Negara, 43 members from the government and five who are not affiliated with any party.

Government senators alone make up exactly two-thirds of the Dewan Negara.

Four Bersatu and one PAS senator, all of whom are not appointed by state assemblies, will see their term expiring this year, thus allowing Putrajaya to increase the number of senators who support the federal government.

Among them is the Dewan Negara president Rais Yatim, whose term expires on June 15. - Mkini