KUCHING: The method for determining a vote of confidence in the Prime Minister within the Dewan Rakyat involves confirming the legitimacy of majority support from Members of Parliament, not merely collecting Statutory Declarations (SDs).
The President of the Senate, Tan Sri Dr. Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, said that certain quarters have misunderstood the SD method as a means to change the government, whereas, in reality, it is the opposite.
“The action of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah in implementing the SD is to obtain certainty, but some misunderstand that the SD can change the government. It is incorrect, and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong did not decree that. The wise action is to secure majority support from Members of Parliament before appointing the Prime Minister.
“Unfortunately, many think that the SD changes the government and use terms like ‘tebuk atap’ (backdoor) government. Things get worse when social media ‘experts’ express their opinions, which are actually incorrect,” he said at the ‘Bicara Tokoh’ event organised by the National Professor Council (NPC) today (Jan 19), discussing the Anti-Party Hopping Law and Stability of the Government, with moderator Dr. Muhammad Asri Mohd Ali.
He added that in actual fact, it is determined by the parliamentary vote, with all Members of Parliament taking the oath first before deciding the simple majority.
Therefore, he emphasised that actions by certain parties aiming to change the government should be undertaken by bringing a motion regarding the matter to Parliament, rather than using the SD process, as is currently sensationalised.
“During this period, it is important for the country to maintain the existing administrative system and stable politics for the progress of the nation and the well-being of the people because developments in the country will impact economic progress and foreign investment,” he added.
It was previously reported that the opposition claimed to have obtained around 120 SDs to topple the administration of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Also present at the event was NPC president Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr. Raduan Che Ros.
