PETALING JAYA: The Dewan Rakyat Speaker will be notified today regarding the vacancy in the Opposition Leader’s post, says Perikatan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar.
He said this follows Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin’s resignation as Opposition Leader on Saturday.
“As per the necessary procedure, I have instructed Perikatan secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan to send a letter to the Dewan Rakyat Speaker.
“When the letter to inform about the vacancy is sent, it means that Datuk Seri Hamzah will no longer be the leader of the opposition bloc,” he told reporters at the Johor PAS Hari Raya open house held in Muar yesterday.
Asked on the candidate for the post, Ahmad Samsuri gave assurance that the position will be filled before the next Dewan Rakyat meeting in June.
“If you ask 10 people (who will be the Opposition Leader), you will get 10 different answers. It is normal for one to voice their opinion. The Perikatan leadership will hear it out and decide.
“We will have a new Opposition Leader by the next Dewan Rakyat meeting,” he said.
On another matter, Ahmad Samsuri said PAS has agreed on the Political Financing Bill.
“We have agreed from the very beginning that political funding needs to be established through legislation,” he noted.
“I believe that before it is tabled, even before the framework is finalised, there must be discussions with political parties.”
He said repeated engagements with lawmakers are necessary to find the best approach to ensure that when the Bill is tabled in Parliament, the process to have it passed is smooth.
