Selangor DAP’s lobbying for an additional deputy speaker post shows that the party is power-hungry, according to state opposition leader Mohd Shamsudin Lias.

He said if DAP is advocating for a second deputy speaker post as a matter of principle, then it would not have waited until it has lost the vote before lobbying.

“It is clear that they just want the post. When they don’t get it, they want a deputy speaker II. Therefore I surmise that DAP is truly power-hungry.

“They already have the speaker’s post from DAP, what else do they want?” he told reporters outside the state assembly today.

He added that the job of the speaker and her deputy is only to take turns to preside over the state assembly sitting, and that adding an additional deputy speaker would only be a waste of taxpayer funds.

When asked, DAP’s Ng Suee Lim ( left ) denied that the party was being power hungry and the post was “not a big issue”, but DAP is only demanding what had been promised earlier.

Quoting from Selangor DAP chief Tony Pua’s speech where he announced that the party is lobbying for the post, Ng said DAP previously promised four exco posts instead of the current three, to “reflect the party’s loyalty (to PKR) in the menteri besar crisis” but that did not materialise.

Meanwhile, former Deputy Speaker Nik Nazmi agreed with Shamsudin that there is no need for an additional deputy speaker.

“As far as I am aware, the system is working fine. Of course Selangor’s assembly is very active compared to many other state assemblies but I think the current system is coping well.

“So, I think there is no need to have this for the present time,” he told reporters.

'No infighting'

Also disagreeing with the creation of an additional post is former Selangor exco member Sallehen Mukhyi ( right ).

“I disagree with the addition of one more deputy speaker. What we have now is enough. We need the speaker at the state assembly sittings, and so far we have no problems with the speaker and the deputy.

“For me, rather than have polemics over positions and lead people to think that we are power hungry, it is better to spend our money on other things that benefit the rakyat,” he said.

When asked whether DAP’s lobbying is a sign of infighting between PAS and DAP, Sallehen replied in the negative.

“I don’t think there is infighting at the party level because there is nothing wrong, although in terms of individual sentiments, I can’t be sure,” he said.

On another matter, Selangor exco member Teng Chang Khim said that the pay cut would not have an impact on exco members.

“Since the pay increase announced last year, there had been negative feedback, so we are ready for (the pay cut),” he said.

He added that the pay of exco members had already been reduced beforehand, and the amendment passed yesterday only formalised it.

Yesterday, the state assembly moved to cut the salaries of the speaker, deputy speaker, menteri besar and exco members.

This partially reverses the controversial pay hikes passed in 2013 under the then Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim’s administration, which has been criticised as being excessive with increases of up to 373 percent.