The Malaysian Insight

THE Muhyiddin Yassin government is nominating Election Commission (EC) chairman Azhar Azizan Harun as the Dewan Rakyat speaker to replace Mohamad Ariff Mohd Yusof, sources said. 

The Malaysian Insight understands that Azhar – popularly known as Art Harun – tendered his resignation yesterday. 

It is learnt that the nomination was also submitted late yesterday. 

“He sent his resignation in. But it will be up to Parliament to debate his nomination when it sits on July 13,” a source said.

“It could go either way but Perikatan Nasional has the majority to push the nomination through,” another source told The Malaysian Insight.

By convention, lawmakers are given 14 days to nominate a new speaker when the post becomes vacant. If more than one candidate is proposed, it will be decided through a vote.

Azhar was appointed by the previous Pakatan Harapan government to head the EC after the historic 2018 general election that ended Barisan Nasional’s rule since 1974.

The Kedahan, 58, is known as a human rights lawyer and writer in the past decade. 

Muhyiddin had submitted a motion to replace Ariff and his deputy Nga Kor Ming, on June 26.

Batu Pahat MP Mohd Rashid Hasnon, who is the other deputy speaker, is not affected by the slew of new nominations to top jobs in the legislature. 

The prime minister is expected to table the motion on the first day of the sitting on July 13.

Nga is a DAP lawmaker while Ariff is a retired judge and has been lauded by both sides for making parliamentary reforms since coming to office in 2018.

Analysts told The Malaysian Insight Muhyiddin is trying to buy time with nominating a new speaker amid calls from PN leaders for fresh elections with the move to remove the speaker and the deputy.

Muhyiddin also faces a motion of no-confidence submitted by Dr Mahathir Mohamad. – June 30, 2020.