Aiming for MB post but ending up as Speaker

PETALING JAYA: Datuk Johari Abdul was eyeing the post of Kedah mentri besar, but Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had other plans for him – which is why he now has the onerous task of keeping MPs in line in Parliament.

“I never expected to become Dewan Rakyat Speaker. After serving 15 years as an MP, I thought I should call it a day and concentrate on the Gurun state seat in Kedah.

“I was convincing myself that I could become the next mentri besar of Kedah as I was previously offered the post, but it somehow that did not materialise due to circumstances,” he told The Star.

The PKR senior politician, who won the Sungai Petani parliamentary seat in 2008, announced before the 15th General Election (GE15) last November that he did not intend to defend his seat.

“I met the PKR president (Anwar) about three to four months before GE15 and told him that I wanted to focus on Gurun,” he said.

He added that Anwar agreed to “release” him after allowing his son, Dr Taufiq Johari, a qualified doctor, to stand in Sungai Petani.

“Physically and mentally, I was focused on my state seat until one fine morning when I got a call informing me that the Prime Minister was nominating me as Speaker.

“I replied that the post was a heavy responsibility and that I was not mentally prepared. I asked for 24 hours to give a reply.

“However, not more than five minutes later, the Prime Minister called me personally to say that he is proposing my name,” said Johari.

On Nov 24, Anwar was appointed the nation’s 10th Prime Minister after Pakatan succeeded in forming a unity government with Barisan Nasional.

Johari said he accepted the challenge and subsequently announced on Dec 18 that he was vacating his Gurun state seat.

On Dec 19, he was elected Dewan Rakyat Speaker after 147 MPs voted in favour of him via a ballot.