By Emmanuel Samarathisa
SEMPORNA MP Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal has sent a letter to Parliament Speaker Tan Sri Mohamad Ariff M Yusoff seeking a motion of confidence on Langkawi MP Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad when Parliament reconvenes.
But Mohamad Ariff rejected the motion, saying it was not in line with Article 43 of the Federal Constitution which concerns the authority of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to appoint the prime minister.
“Therefore, I will not allow the motion to be brought to the sitting,” he said, according to a letter dated May 5.
Earlier, news portal Malay Mail reported that the letter circulating on social media was authentic. When contacted to verify the letter, Mohamad Ariff said: “Yes, authentic. Wait for a full press statement from the office of the Dewan Rakyat Secretary.”
Shafie, who is also Sabah chief minister, wrote the letter dated May 1, proposing a motion of confidence to gauge if Mahathir, who was unseated by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister, continued to command the majority of the Dewan Rakyat.
Muhyiddin and his Perikatan Nasional coalition, a loose pact consisting of Bersatu, Umno, PAS and Gabungan Parti Sarawak, came to power on March 2 after staging a coup that saw the ousting of Mahathir and Pakatan Harapan. – May 7, 2020
