‘File confidence motion on time’

Order in the House: As Speaker, it is my job to ensure that everything takes place in an orderly manner, says Azhar.

Reports by ZAKIAH KOYA, RAHIMY RAHIM, MAZWIN NIK ANIS, MUGUNTAN VANAR, ASHLEY TANG and SHARON LING

PETALING JAYA: A motion of confidence can be moved by the newly appointed Prime Minister only if it is filed within a stipulated time frame before the new Parliament session begins on Sept 6, says Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun.

He said a motion of confidence is usually filed within the two-week notice period before a session starts.

However, under the Standing Orders, he said a minister could file it even one day before the start of the session if he could convince the Speaker of its urgency.

“At the new session due to begin on Sept 6, it will first feature the Royal Address of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.

“Then, usually it will be the motion on the Royal Address, followed by the debate on the Royal Address.

“After that, it would usually be matters of the government unless the motion of confidence is moved by the government earlier,” said Azhar when contacted.

In a statement posted on the official Istana Negara Facebook page yesterday, Comptroller of the Royal Household for Istana Negara Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin said the King had decreed that the MP chosen to be the next prime minister has to submit a motion of confidence in the Dewan Rakyat to validate that he has the confidence of the majority.

Azhar said the motion of confidence, if moved by the government, could also precede the debate on the Royal Address.

“Once moved, and if need be, sped up by the Minister of Law and Parliament, the House will debate the motion before a vote is taken,” he added.

He said the length of the debate is up to the MPs and how the House behaves as there is no fixed time for which the debate should take place.

“As the Speaker, my job is to ensure that everything takes place in an orderly manner. I will not hesitate to take the proper action to ensure the sanctity of the august House is upheld throughout.

“Once the vote is taken, and whichever way it goes – be it the motion fails or not – I would have to inform Istana Negara of the outcome. Should the motion fail, it is up to the Prime Minister to exercise his rights under Article 43(4) of the Federal Constitution,” said Azhar.

Under Article 43(4) of the Federal Constitution, if the Prime Minister ceases to command the confidence of the majority of the members of the Dewan Rakyat, he has two choices.

First is to advise the King to dissolve Parliament and call for a general election, and second is to tender the resignation of the entire Cabinet.

The motion of confidence to confirm the legitimacy of the Prime Minister commanding the majority of the House became a current contentious issue when Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had to resign as premier after he failed to get the Opposition on board for a bipartisan vote of confidence on Aug 12.

Muhyiddin, who had initially promised to push for a motion of confidence in the next Parliament session, had offered seven cross-party reforms to the Opposition in order to secure enough votes to prove his legitimacy.

However, the Opposition rejected his overture.