G25 supports call for speaker and deputy to retain positions
Former top civil servants group G25 has supported electoral watchdog Bersih’s call for Dewan Rakyat Speaker Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof and his deputy Nga Kor Ming to retain their positions.
This comes after Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin submitted a motion to remove the two on the first day of the next parliamentary sitting on July 13.
Former top civil servants group G25 has supported electoral watchdog Bersih’s call for Dewan Rakyat Speaker Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof and his deputy Nga Kor Ming to retain their positions.
This comes after Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin submitted a motion to remove the two on the first day of the next parliamentary sitting on July 13.
“There are no reasonable grounds as to why Ariff (above, right) should be removed as speaker.
“Throughout his tenure, Ariff has maintained the integrity of his position as speaker and executed his duties impartially,” it said in a statement today.
The rakyat has been unsettled by the big changes in the country’s political landscape recently, it said, adding that they are worried Parliament is not functioning as it should in ensuring the check-and-balance system remains intact.
Ariff, it said, has worked hard to introduce reforms to strengthen the role of Parliament in overseeing the functioning of the government and its ministers.
The group said one very important reform he led was the setting up of parliamentary select committees, which was a good step to show the people and the international community that action had been taken to ensure good governance practices despite political uncertainty.
Removing good leaders for no justifiable reason before their tenure will tarnish the sanctity of the appointment process, it added.
It will also disrupt works in progress and waste valuable resources already spent on enacting and implementing policies.
“It is in the best interest of MPs to dismiss such a motion as the people may question the motives of those who support the removal of someone qualified and respected without proper grounds.
“We therefore urge all MPs to rethink their support of this motion and to remember that in the next elections, the people will not forget who made decisions with the best interest of the country in mind and who did not,” G25 said.
On June 30, Bersih had launched a campaign to retain Ariff as the Dewan Rakyat speaker by urging the public to sign an online petition.
Muhyiddin had submitted the motions to remove Ariff and Nga on June 26.
Deputy Speaker Mohd Rashid Hasnon, who is also the Batu Pahat MP aligned with the Perikatan Nasional government, is not affected.
Ariff had said his office had accepted both motions for debate.
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