COMMENT | Speaker's job too big for Art Harun?
COMMENT | If I were Azhar Azizan Harun, I would be bracing myself for the worst to come in the days and weeks ahead.
It will be a very rough ride ahead for him as the newly minted Parliament Speaker. Azhar is probably aware that he would be having a torrid time at the helm of Parliament and he needs to give his all to make it less agonising.
If his first two hours as the Speaker having to face a fiercely hostile opposition on the floor (on July 13) is any indication, that day or night will surely come when he will ask himself, “Is this all worth it?”, perhaps during a quiet moment alone.
It would not be fair of me to be judgmental of Azhar, or Art Harun as he is popularly known, because I do not know him personally.
To be able to judge a man’s character or his worth as a senior or important public servant, you have to know him and observe him at close range. That is lacking in my case.
What I know of Azhar is that he is a lawyer by training, was a lecturer at UiTM and a long-time social activist...
COMMENT | If I were Azhar Azizan Harun, I would be bracing myself for the worst to come in the days and weeks ahead.
It will be a very rough ride ahead for him as the newly minted Parliament Speaker. Azhar is probably aware that he would be having a torrid time at the helm of Parliament and he needs to give his all to make it less agonising.
If his first two hours as the Speaker having to face a fiercely hostile opposition on the floor (on July 13) is any indication, that day or night will surely come when he will ask himself, “Is this all worth it?”, perhaps during a quiet moment alone.
It would not be fair of me to be judgmental of Azhar, or Art Harun as he is popularly known, because I do not know him personally.
To be able to judge a man’s character or his worth as a senior or important public servant, you have to know him and observe him at close range. That is lacking in my case.
What I know of Azhar is that he is a lawyer by training, was a lecturer at UiTM and a long-time social activist. He used to have his own YouTube programme called “The Art of the Matter”, where he articulated current affairs and critiqued professionally where necessary. I was told some of his views were well received and respected.
Azhar’s appointment as Election Commission chairperson soon after GE14 was warmly received by all and sundry – at least, he secured wide approval from leaders of civil society.
As EC chief, Azhar has also done well to reform the nation’s electoral system. The reforms introduced have improved the conduct and transparency of the system and boosted the EC's reputation as a more transparent and accountable electoral body, according to Bersih 2.0.
If Azhar considers his appointment as Parliament Speaker a “promotion” in his public career, he deserves our congratulations. However, it is unfortunate that the promotion has been clouded in controversy.
Now, having to deal directly with politicians
Azhar has to deal directly with politicians now and Members of Parliament can be difficult to handle at times.
I expect the Speaker to have an uneasy relationship with opposition MPs because of the “stigma” linked to his appointment. I don’t think I’m way off to state that Azhar will have a hard time earning respect from the MPs.
I watched the live telecast of the proceedings in Parliament on the first day. Few were paying attention or listening when Azhar took his oath of office. That is not being respectful, is it?
He looked lost when the ruckus was going on in the House and I could even hear someone shout, “You have to learn” as he attempted to grapple with the rowdy MPs. Again, directing a remark at the Speaker, in the form of a yell, is not respecting the chair at all, is it?
What does this tell us? There was little or no respect from the floor towards the Speaker, at least at this point in time. Hopefully, that will improve once Azhar gets settled down in his new job.
Then, to expel the Shah Alam MP (Khalid Samad, above) from the House barely 10 minutes into his first time on the Speaker’s chair, only added more tension to the opposition’s disapproval of Azhar’s appointment.
I have been pondering why Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin chose Azhar as Speaker when he was doing so well as EC chairperson. Like many of you, I can only guess.
I have also wondered whether the Speaker’s job is too big for Azhar to handle. He is not a politician with zero parliamentary experience. With the prevailing political upheavals and uncertainties, I don’t think this is the right time for a newbie to start learning the ropes of the trade.
With due respect to the new Speaker, Parliament as the important legislative branch should not be left in the hands of a novice. Politics aside, this is where I think we have got it all wrong.
I would have thought that veterans like Rais Yatim, Rafidah Aziz, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah or other senior personalities would fit into the Speaker’s role better. Hey, even Dr Mahathir Mohamad as Speaker. Why not? Such veterans will surely garner more respect from the floor.
I recall the time of long-serving Speaker Mohamed Zahir Ismail, when there was real decorum in the august chambers. Parliament was blissful and less rowdy because there was a lot of respect for the guy on the chair.
In my opinion, I think the late Mohamed Zahir was the best Speaker over the past three or four decades.
Well, to Art Harun, I hope things will turn out well for you, along with a “Tan Sri” honorific, which will surely come your way, and an RM372,000 annual salary.
Good luck, Tuan Speaker.
FRANCIS PAUL SIAH heads the Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS), and can be reached at sirsiah@gmail.com.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
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