KUALA LUMPUR, July 16 — Datuk Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof, who was elected the new Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat today, said he resigned from all positions in Parti Amanah Negara by the end of June to be impartial and fair in discharging his duty.

Mohamad Ariff was the chairman of the Amanah disciplinary board and a member of the party’s advisory council of experts.

"I resigned from all posts in Amanah because the Speaker has to be impartial. I stepped down from the posts before July 1, perhaps on June 28 or 26 or even earlier,” he said when approached at the Parliament lobby.

Amanah secretary-general Mohd Anuar Tahir had said that Mohamad Ariff had resigned as the chairman of the party disciplinary board and as a member of the party’s advisory council of experts by July 1.

Regarding the opposition walkout over his election as the Speaker, Mohamad Ariff said he believed the action portrayed the democratic right and freedom of expression practised in the New Malaysia.

Mohamad Ariff also asked the ‘rakyat’ (people) to give him time to look at what had been reformed as of now and what needed to be improved, including democracy in Parliament and the appointment of a new Public Accounts Committee.

"We will wait and see. These are the things we have to discuss. I cannot simply decide on my own. We will discuss and see how to improve parliamentary procedure, parliamentary performance.

"It is our goal to have a better Parliament. We will achieve it because that’s the vision,” he said.

When asked about the restriction on reporters reporting from the Parliament lobby imposed by his predecessor Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia, Mohamad Ariff said he would discuss the matter with Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo. — Bernama