KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition lawmakers from Barisan Nasional (BN) claimed that the credibility of the new Dewan Rakyat speaker would be questioned if his appointment was not in accordance to the standing order.
Kuala Kangsar member of parliament Datin Mastura Mohd Yazid said the government should have followed the standing orders and submitted the name of the speaker 14 days before parliament convened.
“The government should follow the rules, if the appointment of the speaker does not follow the standing order, how do you expect the people to respect parliament decisions after this,” she said.
Padang Terap member of parliament Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said the the appointment of the new speaker today “was all wrong”.
“We don’t object the new speaker but the way he was appointed.
“During the last term, we (BN) announced the appointment of the new speaker 18 days earlier, where we gave space to the opposition at that time.
“However, this time around, we only got to know about the news from the social media and RTM,” he said, adding the Parliament sitting should have been postponed to meet with the standing order requirements.
Former Court of Appeal judge Datuk Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof was appointed as the new Dewak Rakyat speaker and took the oath this morning.
During the announcement of the appointment by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, several members of parliament from the opposition (BN and Pas) voiced out their dissatisfactions and later walked out in protest.