Melaka State Assembly sitting chaotic over appointment of Speaker

The Melaka State Legislative Assembly sitting today turned chaotic following calls by Perikatan Nasional (PN) members led by Datuk Seri Idris Haron (BN-Sungai Udang) that Speaker Datuk Omar Jaafar be replaced with a PN member.

The one-day sitting which began at 9.30 a.m. saw heated exchanges between members of PN and Pakatan Harapan (PH).

Omar tried to calm the situation down by saying that he was still Speaker based on the ‘de facto’ principle, but Idris persisted on challenging Omar’s position and even threw the rule book at him.

This led Omar to adjourn the sitting at 10 a.m. to a date to be informed later before walking out of the sitting followed by 11 PH assemblymen.

However, the drama did not end there. At 10.45 a.m., BERNAMA and RTM reporters were called into the hall to cover the sitting which now comprised 16 of the 28 assemblymen, all of whom are government supporters.

Idris who left the Assembly after Omar was not present during the sitting which was now left with only 16 assemblymen from the government.

Datuk Ghazale Muhamad (Barisan Nasional (BN)-Rim) who chaired the sitting appointed Melaka BN chairman Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh as the 14th Melaka State Assembly Speaker while Ghazale himself was Deputy Speaker.

Ab Rauf was proposed by Chief Minister Datuk Sulaiman Md Ali (BN-Lendu) and seconded by Datuk Seri Abdul Ghafaar Atan (BN-Asahan) while Ghazale was proposed by Datuk Latipah Omar (BN-Taboh Naning) and supported by Datuk Roslan Ahmad (BN-Merlimau).

Meanwhile, speaking to reporters outside the sitting, Sulaiman said Ab Rauf’s appointment was within the law according to the provisions of the Melaka State Constitution.

He said under the provisions, the proposal for adjournment must be brought to the sitting before the Speaker can act to postpone it, but this did not happen.

“Although in the beginning, there was some chaos, but when we referred to the rules of the sitting, it allows us to continue sitting as there was no motion to adjourn it and he (Omar) just left the assembly, which means the Speaker was not present.

“Whenever there is a change in government, there must be and should be a change of the State Assembly Speaker and the Deputy Speaker, and this happens in any state,” he said.

He added that initially he accepted the Speaker’s decision to reject the motion to appoint a new speaker but a verbal motion could be brought to the assembly sitting as the choice of speaker must be made in the assembly sitting.

Meanwhile, the sitting chaired by Ab Rauf passed the motion to appoint Melaka Liaison Body deputy chairman Datuk Seri Mohamad Ali Mohamad to the Senate to represent the state for three years.

The motion was proposed by Sulaiman and seconded by Datuk Noor Effandi Ahmad (Bersatu-Telok Mas) and agreed by 16 of the 28 assemblymen. - BERNAMA