KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 — G25 today said that PKR’s Sungai Petani MP Datuk Johari Abdul is not the right candidate for the post of the Dewan Rakyat Speaker.
In a statement to the media, the elite group urged the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government to reconsider its choice for Dewan Rakyat Speaker and to nominate other candidates who are better suited to reform the Parliament.
It pointed out that Johari is a former Biro Tata Negara (BTN) director, a government agency which has been heavily criticised in the past.
“More worryingly, Datuk Johari Abdul was the former PKR whip in Parliament — a role of such express partisanship certainly does not sit well with the post of speaker which must be neutral above all else,” it said.
The group pointed out that in the UK, it is imperative for the Speaker of the House of Commons to be politically impartial.
“Therefore, on election the new Speaker of the House of Commons resigns from his or her political party and remains separate from political issues even in retirement,” it said.
The group also suggested that retired Court of Appeal judges, Datuk Seri Mohd Hishamudin Yunus and Datuk Mohamad Ariff Yusof — who have with impeccable track records for carrying out their duties fairly — to be considered for the post.
The group stressed on the immediate need of parliament reforms and the speaker is its epicentre and plays a crucial role in restoring the dignity of Parliament to its former glory.
“We do not wish for a weak Parliament anymore which merely rubber-stamps the wishes of the Executive. Malaysians deserve a vibrant and effective check against the Executive and Pakatan Harapan must show that it is serious in reforming Parliament,” it said.
Earlier today, it was reported that Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamadis expected to announce Johari’s appointment tomorrow.
Johari’s selection was believed to have been decided at the PH meeting on Monday night (July 9) held at the Perdana Leadership Foundation in Putrajaya.
