KUALA LUMPUR: Retired Court of Appeal judge Datuk Mohamad Ariff Yusof took his oath of office as the ninth Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
Mohamad Ariff, 69, was the only candidate nominated for the position.
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad proposed the nomination of Mohamad Ariff soon after the Dewan Rakyat began yesterday’s sitting at 10am in the first meeting of the first session of the 14th Parliament.
The nomination was seconded by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
Mohamad Ariff was proclaimed as the Speaker by Dewan Rakyat secretary Datuk Roosme Hamzah. Mohamad Ariff put on the robes of the Speaker and took his oath of office.
Batu Pahat MP Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon and Teluk Intan MP Nga Kor Ming were elected as the deputy speakers by secret ballot.
Mohd Rashid and Nga received 171 and 124 votes, respectively, and beat Beluran MP Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee, the candidate nominated by the opposition, who garnered 93 votes.
Dr Mahathir proposed the nomination of Mohd Rashid and Nga while Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi proposed the nomination of Kiandee.
Mohamad Ariff, who retired in 2015, is known for his great sense of impartiality especially during the Perak constitutional crisis in 2009 and the controversial open verdict relating to the death of Teoh Beng Hock, a political aide to a DAP assemblyman, while being questioned by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.
He is also well-versed in commercial, banking, securities, arbitration, constitutional and administrative laws.
