KUALA LUMPUR, June 30 — The government has proposed Election Commission chairman Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun for the post of Dewan Rakyat Speaker, a news portal reported citing sources.

According to The Malaysian Insight, Azhar (also known as Art) was nominated yesterday and has also served notice to the EC.

"He sent his resignation in. But it will be up to Parliament to debate his nomination when it sits on July 13,” the portal quoted one source as saying.

"It could go either way but Perikatan Nasional has the majority to push the nomination through.”

On June 26, the Muhyiddin administration submitted a parliamentary motion seeking to terminate Tan Sri Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof’s term as the Speaker and that of Nga Kor Ming as his deputy.

Both men were appointed during the previous Pakatan Harapan administration.

In May, Mohamad Ariff accepted former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s motion for a vote of no-confidence in Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The government then removed Riduan Rahmat as the Secretary to the Dewan Rakyat in the aftermath.

Art Harun, a lawyer and vocal political commentator, was appointed as the chairman of the EC in September 2018.