Melaka Speaker ready to face down any attempt to oust him

MELAKA: State Legislative Assembly Speaker Datuk Wira Omar Jaafar is prepared to face down any attempts to unceremoniously remove him from his position during the brief proceedings scheduled for Monday (May 11).

He said he expected there would be an unprecedented move to oust him even though he had rejected the motion tabled on the matter by lawmakers from the ruling state government.

"I will stand my ground. Any attempt to oust me should be done according to the rules of procedure and standing orders of the august house," he said in an interview on Saturday (May 9).

Omar reiterated that he was elected to the post in mid-2018 by a democratically-elected state government.

"Hence, I must be given the chance to serve the full term together with my deputy Datuk Dr Wong Fort Pin," he said.

Omar said he only expected two of the six motions to be tabled during the two-hour proceeding on May 11.

He said one of these motions was to debate the effect of Covid-19 on the state and the other was on electing an Umno division chief as senator.

"I don't understand why there was an abrupt move to table a motion to remove me in the very short proceedings that should be used to debate crucial matters," he said.