KUALA LUMPUR: Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said has confirmed her resignation as the deputy Dewan Rakyat speaker.
Azalina, who is Pengerang member of parliament, said the decision to vacate her position was to allow both government and opposition to “reset” the Dewan Rakyat.
“With the appointment of the new prime minister and the public’s loud and clear demand for multiparty cooperation, I have tendered my resignation today to vacate my seat.
“This is so that the government and the opposition may have more room to reset our Dewan Rakyat so that this August House can truly function as the forum for professional competition and collaboration between parties on policies and governance.
“I will support any reforms the government and the opposition may want to move in their collective wisdom,” she said in a statement.
Azalina added that it was a great honour and privilege to serve as the deputy speaker for the past 13 months.
“I thank all my parliamentary colleagues and fellow Malaysians who have given me the invaluable support and criticism in my humble attempt to be a faithful servant of Parliament and the nation,” she said.
The former law minister also addressed rumours that her resignation was to allow her to be a part of newly-appointed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s much anticipated Cabinet line-up.
She said her resignation was due to her personal moral views that there was a conflict of roles and responsibilities between being deputy speaker as well as an Umno supreme council member and an MP in a ruling coalition.
“The developments in the last 17 months have led me to reflect on the institutional defects of our parliamentary institutions and my own limitations to discharge my duty well in such setting without compromising my professional integrity.
“The lack of consultation and joint decision making impacted my performance as Deputy Speaker. As per Standing Order, a Deputy Speaker cannot make his or her own ruling in the Dewan,” she said.
Following the appointment of Ismail Sabri as PM, a letter containing a list of MPs name and their alleged ministerial positions were circulated on social media. Among them, Azalina is listed as the law minister.
However, Ismail Sabri has since urged the people not to believe any such letter as he had yet to make a decision as to who would be in his Cabinet line-up.
Azalina was among the Umno MPs who had signed statutory declarations to withdraw their support for Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister as reported on Aug 9.-NST