Anwar's confidence motion gets through by voice vote

Anwar Ibrahim has passed the motion of confidence tabled in the Dewan Rakyat to confirm his legitimacy as the prime minister leading the current administration.

The confidence vote motion, which was tabled by Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof earlier, passed through a voice vote.

After the conclusion of a two-hour-long debate on the motion, newly appointed Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul asked parliamentarians in support of the motion to say “setuju” and those against it to say “tidak”.

Although the voice vote conducted saw that MPs in favour of the motion had a louder voice, several lawmakers could be heard saying “tidak”.

Johari then announced at approximately 6.15pm that the majority of the MPs had agreed to the motion. There were no calls for a bloc vote.

This showed Anwar commands a majority in the august House to lead the government formed and further solidifies his legitimacy as the prime minister.

Earlier, the Dewan Rakyat appointed Johari as the new speaker and two deputy speakers – BN’s Cameron Highlands MP Ramli Md Nor and Pakatan Harapan’s Lanang MP Alice Lau – via two separate ballot voting.

Johari garnered 147 votes, one shy of a two-thirds majority while the opposition candidate, Kangar MP Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad, received 74 votes.

In a separate balloting session conducted to vote for the Dewan Rakyat deputy speakers, Ramli received 148 votes, a two-thirds majority, while Lau received 146 votes.

It was unclear who the two government MPs who did not vote for Lau are.

The opposition candidate, Masjid Tanah MP Mas Ermieyati Samsuddin, received 74 votes.

No bloc vote

Meanwhile, Perikatan Nasional (PN) chief whip Takiyuddin Hassan said his coalition did not ask for a bloc vote as they did not intend to vote on an “invalid” document.

He said MPs from PN did not request a bloc vote as they abstained from voting.

“The other side (government bench) did not request for a bloc vote, we don’t know why.

“So there are no numbers from this motion. We don’t know, that’s none of our business,” he told a presser with opposition leader Hamzah Zainuddin after the adjournment of the Parliament sitting,

In a separate press conference, Digital Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said it was not necessary for the government to call for a bloc vote.

“In the 1970s when a motion of confidence was tabled, there was no need for a bloc vote.

“Suffice for me to say we have a sufficient majority and it is two-thirds,” Fahmi said.

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