KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin will, for now, remain the Opposition chief in the Dewan Rakyat.
Opposition chief whip Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said at a press conference in Parliament that the bloc has yet to submit any notification to replace Hamzah.
“I have just met Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul and, for now, Hamzah is still the Opposition leader. He has agreed, and this remains our position,” said the Kota Baru MP.
“There are no changes to the seating arrangement, and there are only two days left in the sitting. We don’t expect to make any changes,” he added.
Hamzah, who is the MP for Larut, was sacked from his party, Bersatu, on Feb 13.
PAS, the component party with the highest number of seats in the Opposition bloc, had earlier said that the new leader would be appointed from among its MPs.
This followed the appointment of PAS vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar as the new Perikatan Nasional chairman.
Dewan Rakyat Standing Order 4A(1) states that there must be a leader of the Opposition in the House.
Standing Order 4a(4) further provides that the Dewan Rakyat Speaker’s decision is final if there is a dispute over the selection of a candidate to lead the Opposition bloc.
If PAS were to take on the role of Opposition leader in the House, pundits say possible candidates include Ahmad Samsuri, Takiyuddin, who is the PAS secretary-general and PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.
