Pandikar Amin re-elected as Speaker, after two names proposed

(The Star) – Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia has been re-elected as the Dewan Rakyat Speaker with 133 votes, after two names were submitted for the post on Monday.

Former federal court judge Datuk Abdul Kadir Sulaiman, the Opposition’s choice, garnered 89 votes.

Pandikar Amin was then robed and took his oath of office.

He promised to be a fair Speaker to all and urged all MPs to be dedicated and work towards the direction of making the country a success.

Pandikar Amin also mooted that the Opposition form a shadow cabinet to facilitate better debate.

Earlier, Dewan Rakyat secretary Datuk Roosme Hamzah announced that two names were submitted for the Speaker’s post, ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of MPs.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak proposed Pandikar Amin, while PKR’s Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim proposed Abdul Kadir as the Opposition’s choice.

Roosme said a secret ballot would take place among the MPs to choose the speaker according to Standing Order 4 (3).

Opposition MPs like Hanipa Maidin (PAS-Sepang) and Gobind Singh (DAP-Puchong) raised an objection over the selection process of the secret ballot, saying the voting papers should not be signed by MPs, otherwise it would not be a secret ballot.

Roosme had earlier said that the MPs had to sign their name on the voting paper.

MPs from both sides of the fence then exchanged jibes. Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan) said “What’s wrong with you writing your name?”

Tian Chua (PKR-Batu) asked whether PM was not confident of Barisan backbenchers.