KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 – Opposition leader Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail put forward the motion of no-confidence against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is on Parliament’s order paper today due to it is unlikely to be debated in the current parliament sitting.
The motion has been listed as the 31st item which is the last item in the lineup for debates in the current Dewan Rakyat sitting which will be ends on December 3. This is the second time the motion is on the order paper due to a motion for a vote of no confidence against Najib was first filed by Petaling Jaya Selatan MP Lee Hoy San but was later retracted as the Opposition felt such a motion must be filed by Dr Wan Azizah as the Opposition leader.
On Oct 20, Wan Azizah had said she would file the no-confidence motion despite Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia advising otherwise, as it might not go through in the current sitting. Meanwhile, Dr Wan Azizah had filed the motion under Section 26 of the Standing Order.
A two-thirds majority is needed to push the no-confidence motion. However, it is believed the Opposition lacks the numbers, as it has 88-members in the 222 lower house seat of the Dewan Rakyat. Furthermore, the newly set up Pakatan Harapan coalition only has 72 MPs.
Besides that, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had said in his blog on Sept 30 that the motion of no-confidence vote is totally democratic. He said although the Parliament may not have any provision for vote of no-confidence, the Constitution which is the the supreme law of the country, states otherwise.
Dr Mahathir wrote in his blog that the article 43 (4) of the Federal Constitution states if the Prime Minister ceases to command the confidence of the majority of the members of the House of Representatives, the Prime Minister shall tender the resignation of the Cabinet.
