Speaker has final say on opposition leader, says Kiandee

PETALING JAYA: Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul has the final say on who commands the support of the majority of the opposition MPs and should therefore, be recognised as the opposition leader, Beluran MP Ronald Kiandee said.

Kiandee, who was a deputy Dewan Rakyat speaker from 2008 to 2018, said Standing Order 4A(4) empowered the speaker to confirm and make a conclusive determination on the matter.

He said that under the Westminster system and Commonwealth conventions, the appointment of the opposition leader was based on the majority support of the opposition MPs rather than the internal hierarchy or decisions of any one political party.

“The speaker has the authority to confirm and determine, in a final and conclusive manner, who among the opposition MPs commands majority support,” he said in a Facebook post.

Perikatan Nasional chairman Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar succeeded Hamzah Zainudin as the opposition leader last month after the latter was sacked from Bersatu amid a leadership tussle between him and party president Muhyiddin Yassin.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said last week Hamzah would return as the opposition leader, just two months after relinquishing the post.

Speaking at the Reset convention in Tanah Merah, Kelantan, Hadi said PAS had sought the views of its MPs as well as the MPs aligned with Hamzah, including 13 who were still with Bersatu.

Kiandee said the en bloc support from PAS MPs was not merely a political stance, but a move to strengthen Parliament’s system of checks and balances based on democratic practice.

He said Standing Order 4A(3) clearly stated that a person became opposition leader by leading the “opposition members’ group” as a whole, not based on party hierarchy or membership in a single party.

“Since Hamzah continues to enjoy clear majority support from PAS en bloc and a majority of Bersatu MPs, his position is firm and cannot be challenged by any internal party decision,” he said.