'Gelap, bedak, undi' - Rocky start for Azhar as Dewan Rakyat speaker

PARLIAMENT | Newly minted Dewan Rakyat speaker Azhar Azizan Harun had a rocky first day.

For starters, no vote was taken when he was sworn in, on grounds that the opposition did not nominate another candidate in time.

Azhar was barely audible when he took his oath amid loud protests from the opposition bench.

"Who voted for this speaker? Who voted for this speaker? Where was the vote?" demanded Kasthuriraani Patto (Harapan-Batu Kawan).

After taking his oath, Azhar sought to control the House, appealing to the MPs: "I request for some decorum. This is the Parliament."

This only sparked louder protests from the opposition and Shahidan Kassim (BN-Arau) nudged Azhar to turn off their microphones.

Azhar appeared to struggle with the buttons on his table and a Parliament staff member went over to guide him.

After gaining control of the mute button, Azhar began to deliver his maiden speech but struggled with persistent protests from the opposition who chanted, "Vote! Vote! Vote!" in unison.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the MPs for appointing me as the speaker as well as the YBs who participated in this process but did not support me.

"Because by taking part in this process, you have nourished and spurred our practice of parliamentary democracy," Azhar said as the opposition MPs jeered.

He also quoted the late Perak ruler Sultan Azlan Shah's 1987 speech titled "Checks and balances in a constitutional democracy" but opposition MPs called out for him to take his own advice.

Azhar ejects MP eight minutes after swearing-in

A visibly frustrated Azhar later stopped his speech and asked Khalid Samad (Amanah-Shah Alam) to leave the House - his first ejection of an MP, only eight minutes after being sworn in.

After facilitating the appointment of Pengerang MP Azalina Othman Said as his new deputy, also without a vote, Azhar (photo) then proceeded with the debate of another motion tabled by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to replace members of the parliamentary selection committee.

Before the debate could commence, Kasthuriraani sought clarification on why the new selection committee line-up did not have any women.

Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim (BN-Baling) then interjected, saying: "Dark (gelap), can't see."

This prompted RSN Rayer (DAP-Jelutong) to demand Azeez to retract his statement.

Azeez rebutted: "I'm dark and can't be seen too. YB is dark too. Dark is not an issue."

"I did not say this particular YB or that particular YB is dark. I'm dark too. Just use powder (bedak), problem solved," Abdul Azeez added.

Dark and powder controversy

This only infuriated the opposition bench, including Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (PKR-Setiawangsa), who demanded that Azhar order Azeez to retract his statement.

"You are the newly minted speaker. You must have some order. You cannot allow him to use such language," Rayer called out.

"He didn't just say I'm dark, he asked me to use powder," exclaimed Kasthuriraani.

Azhar ignored calls for a ruling on the matter and insisted on proceeding with debating the motion on the selection committee appointments as the opposition MPs continued protesting.

Azeez finally stood up and said: "It's okay, we are magnanimous and we want to continue with the order of business. I will retract it, I wasn't referring to her in the first place."

However, the opposition MPs demanded that Azhar should still make a ruling on the matter.

"Are you not the speaker of the House?" demanded Kasthuriraani.

Azhar maintained that there was no need to make a ruling as Azeez had retracted the comment.

As the stalemate continued with arguments from both sides, de facto Law Minister Takiyuddin Hassan (photo) stood up and declared that as MPs had no interest to debate the motion on the selection committee appointments, it should immediately go for a vote.

Azhar went along with this, despite protest from Mohamed Hanipa Maidin (Amanah-Sepang), who said: "What no debate? We're not there yet!"

Azhar then put the motion to a voice vote with the government bench saying "agree" while the opposition bench continued their futile protest.

Finally, Takiyuddin then tabled another motion to adjourn the sitting today, putting an end to the drama.

Azhar, a lawyer by training, was sworn in following the removal of former Court of Appeal judge Mohamad Ariff Md Yusoff as the Dewan Rakyat speaker earlier today.

Ariff's deputy Nga Kor Ming had resigned in solidarity before he could be removed. Azalina replaced Nga, making her the first female deputy speaker in the Dewan Rakyat.

After the sitting, Azhar held a press conference and promised he won't act controversially as the Dewan Rakyat speaker.

“People say that when I was appointed as the Election Committee (EC) it also became a controversy, but I did not act controversially (then) and I won’t act controversially here.

“We have the standing orders and I intend to follow it,” he said.

After his first day, Azhar said he does not regret accepting the offer as it is a “good experience”.

Asked about Kasthuriraani's complaint, Azhar said everyone is against sexist remarks but the particular comment by Azeez was open to interpretation.

“At the time, those who made it apologised and withdrew the remark, but I hope in the future, there will be no sexist remarks again in the Dewan," he added.