Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia will not be deciding on whether to allow a motion of no-confidence against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak until it has been submitted to him.

Speaking to reporters at the sidelines of the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) general assembly today, Pandikar pointed out that Parliament is not yet in session.

“Did you hear any word that the Parliament in session? None, isn’t it?

“So I will cross the bridge when I come to it,” he said, when asked whether he would accept a motion of no-confidence for tabling in Parliament.

However, Pandikar also stressed that the parliamentary standing order is silent on the tabling of motions of no-confidence, despite opposition politicians insinuating to the contrary.

On Thursday last week, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang had issued a statement where he made reference to an earlier statement from Pandikar where the latter reportedly said “democracy has different meanings in different countries.”

Dewan Rakyat has power to set procedures

Lim argued that variations of democracy cannot be so broad that Malaysia cannot hold a no-confidence motion when a majority of MPs supposedly have lost confidence in the prime minister.

“Otherwise, what type of a democracy is Malaysia having and what type of a Parliament is Pandikar presiding over as speaker?” he said.

Responding to Lim ( photo ), Pandikar stressed that under Article 62 of the Federal Constitution, the Dewan Rakyat has the power to set its own procedures, and his role as the speaker is merely to interpret it.

“Therefore the Parliament has the right to enact its procedure. There is nothing in procedure that I can find (on no-confidence motion).

“So ask Lim Kit Siang, ask those people how? I cannot make laws; judges cannot make laws,” he said.

On an unrelated matter, Pandikar was also asked whether PAS parliamentarians who are joining Parti Amanah Malaysia are still MPs.

He replied that under the law, there are several grounds that could disqualify an MP such as insanity or bankruptcy, but defection is not one of those grounds for disqualification.

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