Malaysia’s Parliament sits for first time under PM Anwar, elects Speaker from PKR
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government on Monday elected a new parliamentary Speaker from its ranks, underlining his administration’s strength in numbers in Parliament for the first time.
Datuk Johari Abdul, a former MP from Datuk Seri Anwar’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), garnered 147 votes among 222 MPs to become the new Speaker.
However, this is just short of a two-thirds majority that Anwar claims to command in Parliament.
Cameron Highlands MP Ramli Md Nor from Barisan Nasional and Lanang MP Alice Lau from Pakatan Harapan were elected Deputy Speakers, garnering 148 and 146 votes respectively.
This is likely reflective of the level of support that Anwar has among Malaysia’s lawmakers, ahead of a confidence vote that is scheduled to take place later on Monday as part of a two-day special sitting for Malaysia’s Parliament.
The Premier will look to cement his claim that he has the support of two-thirds of Malaysia’s lawmakers through the confidence vote.
Commanding a two-thirds supermajority will allow Anwar’s government to make sweeping changes to laws, including amending the Constitution and changing electoral rules.
The Parliament sitting will also see the government seek RM56 billion in additional expenditure funds, as the country’s 2023 federal budget was not passed by Parliament before it was dissolved in October to pave the way for elections.