PH: we have 5 years, not 100 days, to keep pledge on speaker

PPBM’s Rais Hussin says some people are not reading the Pakatan Harapan election manifesto properly.

(FMT) – Pakatan Harapan (PH) will elect a new Dewan Rakyat speaker from among its MPs and senate members within the next five years, in line with the “long-term” election pledges the coalition said it would fulfil if it won Putrajaya. 

PPBM’s Rais Hussin, who chaired PH’s manifesto committee for the 14th general election (GE14), rubbished claims that the government had made a U-turn on the matter, following former judge Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof’s appointment as the new Dewan Rakyat speaker on Monday.

“I just don’t understand why these guys are talking about U-turns. Some people don’t understand what the manifesto is all about. I laugh at them, I really do. They are not reading our manifesto properly.

“If we had said we would appoint a speaker from both houses of Parliament within 100 days, then you could call it a U-turn. But we said we would accomplish this in the first five years. So what’s all the fuss about?” he told FMT when contacted. 

This follows PKR Youth leader Syukri Rahab’s warning to PH leaders that they should not tolerate U-turns in policies such as the appointment of the speaker as it could become a precedent for the government to go back on its word.

Ten short-term goals were promised during GE14 by PH, to be fulfilled in its first 100 days of government. It also pledged another 60 long-term goals to be carried out within its first five years in power.

Rais said PH’s promise to elect speakers for both houses of Parliament from among its MPs and senate members fell into the latter category.

He questioned how Parliament would convene without first having a speaker, or investigations and legal efforts initiated by the government unless an attorney-general and a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) director were sworn in.

He insisted that guidelines and protocols were already in place for a speaker to be changed, adding that there were circumstances in the past as well where new speakers had been suggested and sworn in, even during an active government term.

“The democratic system we practise in Malaysia allows for this. Even the new Attorney-General (Tommy Thomas) has only been appointed for two years, not five,” he said.

“Eventually, within PH’s first term of government, we will fulfil all 60 promises as they were written (including electing a speaker from among the MPs).

“But there must be a proper starting point,” Rais said.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had defended the coalition’s choice of Ariff as the speaker, saying the manifesto was not a “bible” but a guide to follow, and that some things had to be done out of practicality.

Rais agreed with Mahathir, saying there was a timeframe already in place for every promise PH had pledged to work on in its manifesto. He also shrugged off concerns that PH would be unable to fulfil them.

He said he nonetheless welcomed constructive criticism about PH and its policy implementations, as everyone had a say in rebuilding the “new” Malaysia.

“But please, read the manifesto first,” he added.