Bersih tells speaker not to betray royal mandate

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Electoral reform group Bersih has urged Pandikar Amin Mulia not to betray the royal mandate granted to him as Dewan Rakyat speaker after he claimed that there was no mechanism for a vote of no-confidence against the prime minister in Parliament.

The movement said Pandikar should act an an facilitator and moderator and not side with those who had tried to cover up the scandals involving Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

"Is the government and prime minister calling the shots for the speaker?

"If this perception is not corrected and the House speaker is clearly seen to act on the prime minister's and government's instruction, he will be seen to have betrayed the trust granted to him by the Yang Di-pertuan Agong," it said.

It added the mandate required Pandikar to conduct the Dewan Rakyat in a fair and just manner and also to ensure there was a clear majority for the head of government.

Bersih said it did not make sense if there was no mechanism to test the confidence of the House in the government as it would allow for abuse of power, corruption and unchecked autocracy.

It said Pandikar, as speaker, must allow for a motion of no-confidence if it is tabled and give it priority over other motions.

"Failure to do so would prove the house speaker does not deserve his seat which is the symbol of democracy and the rakyat's trust through the mandate of the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong," he said.

There have been speculations that scandal-plagued Najib ( photo ) may face a no-confidence vote when Parliament convenes in October.

This is amid his handling of 1MDB which is struggling to repay its US$11 billion debt and the presence of RM2.6 billion in his personal bank accounts.

It remains unclear if Pandikar will allow a vote to test if Najib still enjoys majority support in the House.



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