ADUN SPEAKS | Dewan Rakyat Speaker Mohamed Ariff Yusof has rejected the motion put up by Semporna MP Shafie Afdal to table a motion of confidence for Langkawi MP Dr Mahathir Mohamad, but the reason given by the former was indeed baffling and mind-boggling.

Mohamed Ariff, who is a former Court of Appeal judge, cited Article 43 (2)(a) of the Federal Constitution which gives the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong the power to appoint a prime minister as the main reason. The motion put up by the Semporna MP, he argued, was not in line with this provision.

Even though the Constitution does not mention motions of confidence, Article 43(4) nonetheless requires a premier who “ceases to command the confidence of the majority of the members of the House of Representatives” to resign. Given the position of the prime minister, that essentially means the resignation of the entire government.

The above provision obviously allows for a motion of confidence to be tabled in the House but when?...