KUALA LUMPUR, March 1 ― The motion on the election of a Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker to replace Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, which was scheduled for today, has been postponed again.
The motion on the postponement was tabled by Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, who proposed that the motion on matter number 1 of the Order Paper for today be postponed to the next meeting.
“Based on Standing Order 90 (2) with the agreement of the Speaker, I hereby submit a motion to stop the coming into effect of Order Paper 6, that is to postpone the election of Deputy Speaker to the coming second meeting,” she said.
The motion was then approved unanimously by members of the House.
On August 23 last year, Azalina resigned from the post but continued to temporarily shoulder the responsibility of Deputy Speaker throughout the meeting of that session.
During the sitting on October 25, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar told the Dewan Rakyat that the election of Deputy Speaker would be postponed to the next meeting.
According to Wan Junaidi, the motion on this matter was originally listed under an Order Paper of the Second Meeting of the Fourth Session but was postponed to enable amendments to be made to Article 57 (1)(b) of the Federal Constitution to increase the number of Deputy Speakers from two to three.
Article 57 (1)(b) of the Federal Constitution states that the Dewan Rakyat shall from time to time elect two Deputy Speakers from among members of the House. ― Bernama
