Shafie Apdal submits notice for confidence vote on Dr M
Sabah chief minister Shafie Apdal has submitted a notice to initiate a confidence vote for Dr Mahathir Mohamad to show that the Langkawi MP commands majority support in the Dewan Rakyat, a prerequisite for becoming the prime minister.
When contacted by Malaysiakini, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Mohamed Ariff Yusof's office confirmed that it had received the notice for the motion dated May 1.
Shafie, who is also the Semporna MP, said in the notice that it is not intended to upend the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's power to appoint the prime minister but rather to inform the ruler who commands majority support in the House.
"Without the intention of going against Article 43 of the Federal Constitution which states the appointment of the prime minister is the absolute power of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, this motion through the Dewan Rakyat serves to show the rakyat and sembah maklum (inform) the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Istana Negara (who commands majority support)," read the notice sighted by Malaysiakini.
Mohamed Ariff, when contacted this afternoon, also confirmed receiving the notice but declined to elaborate.
He said the Dewan Rakyat secretary will issue a statement on the matter tomorrow.
"Wait for the full statement by the Dewan Rakyat secretary tomorrow," he said in a text message.
Malaysiakini has attempted to contact Shafie but has yet to receive a response.
Dr M wants no-confidence vote
In a separate development, Malaysiakini understood that Mahathir has also notified the speaker's office of a motion of no-confidence against Muhyiddin (below).
Mohamad Ariff did not confirm this when contacted.
Mahathir's letter was understood to have been dated May 4. MPs who want to bring motions to the Dewan Rakyat must do so 14 days before the session begins. The Dewan Rakyat is scheduled to sit for one day on May 18.
According to Mahathir's notice, his motion seeks to determine that Muhyiddin does not have majority support to be prime minister.
A high-ranking Pakatan Harapan official told Malaysiakini that Mahathir cited Standing Orders 26(1), which cannot be rejected by the speaker.
The only way Perikatan Nasional can prevent a motion from being tabled is to ensure government business takes up all available time.
"In other words, PN can 'frustrate' the opposition motion by adding government business (during the session).
"The opposition motion will remain on the order paper but will not be debated and voted on," said the source.
Bersatu is presently split between Muhyiddin's faction and Mahathir's faction.
The Harapan government collapsed in late February after Muhyiddin took Bersatu out of the coalition and joined forces with a group of PKR defectors led by former PKR deputy president Azmin Ali.
Together with the BN, PAS, GPS and other minor parties, they formed the new PN federal government.
Mahathir had indicated he plans to wrest back control of the party in the next Bersatu election and withdraw the party from the PN government.
Muhyiddin's command of majority support in Parliament has also been a subject of dispute, as Mahathir and Harapan also claim that they have the numbers.
Muhyiddin's position had also been untested as there had been no Parliament sitting yet since he was sworn in as the eighth premier on March 1.
The Dewan Rakyat was initially scheduled to convene for its first session this year on March 9, but had been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
It has now been rescheduled to take place on May 18, albeit for only one day as the government said that they want to reduce risk of infection.
The opposition had since urged the government to conduct the Dewan Rakyat sitting for at least two weeks, arguing that this is doable as the economic sector had also been reopened.
Speaker rejects Shafie's motion, says its 'unconstitutional'
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