Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who insisted that Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia wanted to resign, said the latter's dissatisfaction could be related to the furniture in his office.

He said the shabby furniture left Pandikar red-faced when entertaining VIP guests.

"He (Pandikar) came to see me. I didn't ask him to come. He expressed unhappiness with the present government.

"As the speaker of the House, he has been having a lot of VIP (guests). And they come to his room. And the room is shabby.

"How can it be like that? Perhaps, the furnishing is not provided and that is the reason he wants to resign," he said at a book launch in Putrajaya.

On Saturday, Mahathir had claimed that Pandikar had resigned. However, the speaker denied this several hours later.

The following day, Pandikar said he had met with Mahathir but did not discuss the issue of resignation.

Mahathir, however, claimed otherwise.

This morning, parliamentarians from both sides of the divide applauded Pandikar for staying on as the speaker of Dewan Rakyat.

 

The beaming speaker was greeted with parliamentarians thumping their tables as a sign of support, when he entered the august house, which started a new sitting.