Motion to change Speaker proof that PH MPs do not deserve to be government - Nazri Aziz

The attitude of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) members of Parliament (MPs) in opposing the motion to elect a new Dewan Rakyat Speaker was proof that they do not deserve to be the government, said MP for Padang Rengas Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz.

Nazri said what happened during the motion to replace Tan Sri Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof with Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun proved that PH elected representatives did not understand the procedure.

He stressed that the government had acted in accordance with the correct procedure when deciding to change the previous Speaker.

"I do not understand the attitude of the opposition members in this matter, like we see the Batu Kawan opposition MP shouting, 'who voted for the speaker ... who voted for the speaker'.

"What happened was a sign that she does not understand the procedure in the issue of changing the Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat," he told Astro AWANI.

Nazri also explained that the opposition should have acted earlier by naming their own candidate for the Speaker’s position.

He said the opposition had known in advance that the government would bring a motion to change the Speaker.

"If they are clever, they (the opposition) should have planned in advance when they found out that the motion to vacate the Speaker’s position was approved, then they should propose their own candidate.

"So, if they did not field a candidate, we (the government) consider that the current Speaker (Azhar Azizan Harun) is the only candidate.

"What happened yesterday was genuinely the opposition.. that's why they cannot govern because they do not know how to.

"And when they become the opposition again, this is their attitude, oppose just anything," he added.

Commenting on the opposition's claim that the government did not have a strong reason to drop Mohamad Ariff, the former Minister of Legal Affairs explained that it was not necessary.

"In terms of procedures, the government has done according to the correct procedures, there are no defects there as alleged by the opposition.

"We are not doing it at our own will when we want to vacate or do not want the Speaker, we announced to vacate the position first.

"If we want to vacate a seat, it is not necessary to provide any reason, it is enough for us just to follow the procedure.

"Actually this government is kind. If we give reasons, (we may say) he (the former Speaker) was not neutral, not good enough, for what? Why would we we want to tarnish an individual?" he said.

The government managed to change the Speaker on Monday despite gaining a narrow vote of 111 in favour and 109 against.