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YOURSAY | Why move from ‘independent’ EC chief to ‘puppet’ House speaker?
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YOURSAY | ‘It is unbecoming of Azhar to accept the nomination as speaker.’

Nga: Azhar, Azalina nominated as speaker, deputy speaker

COMMENT | The speaker is the face of Parliament

Ferdtan: Why is Azhar Azizan Harun be proposed as House speaker when he has been in the position of Election Commission (EC) chief for less than two years? Should we all be cynical of the real reasons why?

It is not easy to remove him as the EC chief. He can only be removed with the authority of Yang di-Pertuan Agong, and if he did nothing wrong (amounting to a removable offence) there is nothing that Perikatan Nasional (PN) government can do.

This position is for life until he retires at a certain age. On the other hand, as a House speaker, he can be removed anytime once the vote is taken by Parliament, or a change in government after a general election.

The big question is, are they trying to get a 'compliant' EC chief to run the election?

We beg Azhar… please refuse to step down for reason of wanting to have transparency in a just and fair election. It is your patriotic duty - that's the reason why you were selected to be the EC chief in the first place.

Personally, too, you would benefit from the permanency of the EC post. You have the backing of Malaysians if you decide to resist the pressure to vacate the post.

Straight Citizen: Mohd Ariff Md Yusof has proven himself during his short tenure as House speaker to be upright and a complete respecter of the law.

I'm sure the rakyat will really miss him along with deputy speaker Nga Kor Ming, who I personally believe endeavoured to hold themselves in high esteem and conduct themselves with impartiality while occupying such a key role in maintaining order in Parliament.

Oh Malaysia, to what depths of the abyss are you going to descend to? I shudder.

Kim Quek: The motion to remove Ariff must first be passed before Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin can propose Azhar as the new speaker. Pakatan Harapan must first defend Ariff, failing which, they could only consider Azhar as the speaker only if his replacement in EC is acceptable.

The current Muhyiddin’s proposal seems to be aiming at replacing Azhar as the EC chief with a compliant candidate that would do the incumbent power’s bidding as happened throughout Umno’s hegemonic rule.

As a matter of fact, EC had been functioning as an arm of Umno, without which it would have lost power a long time ago.

Constitutional Supremacy: It is unbecoming of Azhar to accept the nomination as speaker. You should know you are just being used to replace Ariff, a highly qualified and respectable speaker. Definitely you are not suitable to be the speaker.

All MPs should oppose the removal of Ariff and Nga.

Clever Voter: The proposed nominations to replace the current speaker and deputy speaker are nothing but political. It reflects a strategic move by PN.

The EC position is the one that self-serving politicians are eyeing for. It goes to show that they may have less than average politicians but this is a smart move.

Bobby0: Are we coming to the conclusion that the next speaker, if chosen, is a man without principles?

It sounds that way. A speaker who is not going to make his decisions on the rule of law or procedure is a man that is willing to sacrifice his principles to hold on to the position given to him. That means he is not going to serve the people but the politicians.

It is sad to reach such a conclusion. Even before he sits on the chair, his reputation has already been questioned; that he has to be a 'yes man' to the powers-that-be.

Can we expect a speaker that will put the interest of the nation above him or herself? Only time will tell.

Hang Babeuf: The source of the problem here is the silly procedure whereby the government appoints a speaker from the outside.

Parliaments only work properly when:

1. The speaker is chosen by and from among the elected members of the "people's house"; and

2. Once elected, the speaker places his/her fidelity to parliamentary processes and procedures and principles above any partisan loyalists or stratagems or considerations.

Malaysia does not do it that way because the government does not want it done that way. And because Malaysian parliamentarians and politicians are incapable of thinking and acting in that way.

They are just not up to it. Any of them. And this is the result. The sad and sorry result.

Two Come Out: The speaker is not the face of Parliament, the MPs are. It’s just that they don’t behave in that manner. Parliament belongs to the rakyat via MPs as their proxy.

Unfortunately, many of our MPs do not know that and think they are beholden to the government that selected them.

Headhunter: Why so surprised? Muhyiddin’s only trying to do what Najib Abdul Razak did - getting a speaker who can dance to his tune. The only surprise is why it took him so long.

Apa Aku Dapat: The opposition and fair-minded East Malaysian politicians must vote against Muhyiddin's motion. Azhar will be a puppet in Parliament if elected. That's what PN wants.

Electoral reforms then will be stalled. That's what Muhyiddin wants. It’s shameful to replace the present good and qualified speaker and deputy speaker.


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