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KUALA LUMPUR: Any MP who can present evidence to Yang di-Pertuan Agong that he has majority support in the House to become the next prime minister can do so, says Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan (Photo).
The minister of the Prime Minister’s Department said that the decision to appoint a prime minister is the prerogative of the King.
“The Yang di-Pertuan Agong may determine, through any suitable means, to decide on an individual who, in the opinion of the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, has received majority support among the members of Dewan Rakyat.
“This includes receiving any documents presented or receiving verbal or written statements from each MP,” Takiyuddin said in his response to Hassan Abdul Karim (PH-Pasir Gudang) during Ministerial Question Time in Parliament on Thursday (December 10).
Hassan had asked when the 25 motions of no confidence and the two motions of confidence against Pagoh Tan MP Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, as prime minister, will be presented, debated and voted in the Dewan Rakyat.
Takiyuddin, the de facto law minister, said former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad was named the nation’s seventh prime minister after Pakatan Harapan won 135 of the 222 seats in the Dewan Rakyat.
However, Dr. Mahathir submitted his registration on February 24, 2020, and subsequently on March 1, Muhyiddin, who had received the support of 114 MPs, was appointed the eighth prime minister.
After that, the Port Dickson MP (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) claimed that he had enough support to become the next prime minister and that Yang di-Pertuan Agong had even granted him a royal audience in October.
“However, I would like to read a statement issued by Istana Negara (then), which said that the Port Dickson MP did not produce a list of the names of those who support him.
“As such, the King advised the leader of the Opposition to obey and respect due process of law according to the Federal Constitution,” said Takiyuddin.
He argued that Muhyiddin’s appointment cannot be challenged as he followed due process.
Takiyuddin also said that some opposition MPs had claimed that if the 2021 budget was not passed, it was a reflection that the prime minister had lost the House’s trust.
“But the 2021 Budget was approved (at the policy stage) and this has been recorded in the Chamber.”
Therefore, there is no question as to whether YB Pagoh has reduced or lost the majority support of the Chamber.
However, the government has no qualms if someone wants to present some kind of support among MPs to become the ninth prime minister.
“We are open if any MP can provide a statutory statement to Yang di-Pertuan Agong and if there are more than 111 MPs (signing the statement), then we will abide by it, as this is the process of democracy,” Takiyuddin said. .
He also said that currently, there is no urgency to speed up the motions of no confidence and confidence against the Prime Minister to be presented, debated and voted in the House, as government matters take priority.
The Kota Baru MP said that although no legislator is prevented from filing a motion of confidence or censure against the Prime Minister, these motions are also subject to the Standing Order Dewan Rakyat.
Standing Orders 14 and 15 state that government business will have priority over private member businesses.
“As there are no elements to show that YB Pagoh has lost the confidence of the House, it is not necessary to expedite the motions,” he said.
Takiyuddin said the motions, however, will remain in the Order Document.
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