By IANS,
Ipoh (Malaysia): Malaysia’s Perak state is considering appointing another ethnic Indian as the assembly’s speaker, but the incumbent is not yet ready to give up the post.
S. Vasan, one of the three on the panel of names suggested by the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) chief S. Samy Vellu, could be the new speaker, The Star newspaper reported Friday.
Vasan was defeated in the last assembly poll but Article 36 (A) of the constitution provides for appointment of a non-member as the presiding officer. He is said to be “Samy Vellu’s blue-eyed boy”, the report added.
Speaker V. Sivakumar, who created history by suspending the chief minister and the entire cabinet from the assembly after a change of government, had challenged the new majority caused by defection in February.
The court intervened last month to rule that Mentri Besar (chief Minister) Zambry Abdul Kadir and his six ministers could attend the assembly.
Kadir is expected to move a motion for Sivakumar’s removal and announce the name of the new speaker when the assembly meets May 7.
However, Sivakumar is “not ready to be pushed out”, the newspaper said.
Apart from Sivakumar, there are three other Indian assembly members – A. Sivanesan, A. Sivasubramaniam and S. Kesavan. But they belong to the Pakatan Rakyat alliance that lost majority due to defection.
The MIC belong to the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN).