INTERVIEW | New Dewan Rakyat speaker Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof shuns comparisons between himself and his predecessor, Pandikar Amin Mulia.

"I do not want to bring up what my predecessor has done, it could be right or wrong. I take things as of now, instead of yesterday.

"It is not good to keep harping on the past, I prefer to look to the future," Mohamad Ariff told Malaysiakini in an interview at his office in Parliament.

Many of Pandikar's rulings in his decade as speaker were heavily criticised, perhaps none more so when he decreed that bringing up the 1MDB affair in the Dewan Rakyat was tantamount to "sub judice".

Asked whether he would allow any topic being debated, the former judge said he could not provide “ironclad” assurance, but said the rule of law will be upheld...