Ex-deputy minister submits motion of no-confidence against PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 — Former deputy finance minister Datuk Amiruddin Hamzah said he has notified Parliament of his intention to bring a motion of no-confidence against Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The former Bersatu leader who is now with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s Pejuang party submitted the letter Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun to comply with the stipulated two weeks’ notice required under Parliament’s Standing Orders.

“I have sent the letter to the Speaker of Dewan Rakyat regarding a motion of no-confidence against the most honourable prime minister dated October 15, 2020, for the coming session of Parliament,” he said on Twitter.

Muhyiddin’s support in Parliament came under question again after Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim met Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and claimed to have won the support of over 120 MPs to take over the government.

It is Azhar’s prerogative to accept the motion or otherwise.

There is already a pending motion of no-confidence against Muhyiddin, which former prime minister Dr Mahathir successfully lodged with Parliament in May.

Muhyddin’s government subsequently removed the Speaker who accepted the earlier motion, Tan Sri Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof, and installed Azhar in the position.

This week, senior Umno lawmaker Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah publicised a letter he wrote to Azhar urging the latter to promote the motion against Muhyiddin in Parliament’s agenda to allow this to take place.

Azhar said he could not do so without the agreement of the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Parliament and Law.

This suggests that Amiruddin’s attempt will likely face the same obstacle.

However, at least one constitutional expert has noted that the federal Budget is due to be tabled in the November-December meeting, and that blocking this would serve the same purpose as a vote of no-confidence against Muhyiddin’s administration.

Parliament will sit from November 2 to December 15 for its next meeting.

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