Speaker denies breaking promise to opposition MPs

PARLIAMENT | Dewan Rakyat speaker Johari Abdul today denied that he broke his promise to allow opposition MPs to speak on an emergency motion to discuss the court ruling granting Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA).

He said that he did not make such a promise to allow the opposition representatives to debate on the motion after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had presented the mid-term review of the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) yesterday.

Johari (above) was clarifying his statement that he had broken his "promise" when he rejected an emergency motion brought by Machang MP Wah Ahmad Fyhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal and Shahidan Kassim (PN-Arau) to discuss Zahid's case based on Standing Order 18(1).

"I mentioned to Arau and Machang that I would give them space (to speak)... meaning that within (the) six days (of the session), they can speak," he said in Parliament.

Yesterday, the opposition accused Johari of not fulfilling his promise to allow them to speak on the motion.

Shahidan said the speaker initially promised to give them the opportunity to speak after Anwar had presented the 12MP mid-term review.

"After the prime minister finished presenting the 12MP, the session was immediately adjourned hastily... even though the speaker promised to give us the opportunity to bring up the motion under Standing Order 18(1).

"It was as if there were new instructions for the speaker to adjourn the session hastily.

"We will bring up another emergency motion... We know the Madani government lies a lot," Shahidan said at a press conference in the Parliament lobby.

In the meantime, Johari said he would continue to give the opposition MPs the opportunity to speak.

"I will not stop them when this issue is raised... I won't stop. That's why I want them to talk... we have six days (of this session).

Earlier, Johari also said he rejected the motion because of a previous case, whereby the speaker at the time used Standing Order 11(3) to prevent a motion submitted under Standing Order 18(1) from being debated.

"I rejected this motion because there is a precedent (a previous case) which was in July 2021... the speaker (at that time), Azhar Harun, had already rejected the motion submitted by Beruas and Port Dickson to discuss a specific issue under 18(1), which was the proclamation of emergency," he said.

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