KUALA LUMPUR – To break the political impasse, former attorney-general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas has mooted the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s advice that the prime minister go through a confidence vote when Parliament convenes.
Thomas said this as the legitimacy of the Perikatan Nasional government led by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has been questioned since the Sheraton Move early last year.
“Now we know Parliament is sitting by August 1. His Majesty can summon the prime minister telling him: ‘Look, your political legitimacy is an issue, nobody is satisfied with your majority’, so within a week or three days of the Parliament sitting you must have a motion of confidence,” he added.
He said the Dewan Rakyat speaker can then call for the motion of confidence to be tabled, and that the proceedings for this should be televised, especially during the vote.
“Then the Agong can say to the prime minister: ‘If you are defeated, you have to resign and I will form the new government (based) on my judgement on who has the majority’.”
Thomas was speaking at a webinar called “Emergency, Democracy and The Rule of Law” hosted by Sekhar Institute and The Vibes today, with other panellists former Dewan Rakyat speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia, PKR vice-president Datuk Seri Shamsul iskandar Mohd Akin, DAP Youth chief Howard Lee, and actor Datuk Afdlin Shauki Aksan.
Following the Agong’s decree, the government said Parliament will convene before the emergency expires on August 1.
Law minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said the date will be finalised in the coming cabinet meeting Wednesday.
Since the emergency proclamation on January 11, Parliament has been suspended despite calls from the Agong, as well as other lawmakers, to convene as soon as possible. – The Vibes, July 3, 2021