KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 — The election of a Deputy Speaker for the Dewan Rakyat to replace Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said that was scheduled for today has been postponed again, the fourth time it has been deferred.

The motion on the deferment was tabled by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar who proposed that the motion (for the election of a deputy speaker), which was item number one in today’s Order Paper, be postponed to the next meeting of the House.

"That in accordance with Standing Order 90 (2) and with the consent of the Speaker, I submit a motion to stop the undertaking of Standing Order 6 which is to postpone the election of a deputy Speaker of the House as per item number one stated in the Standing Orders and motions for today, to the next meeting,” he said.

The motion was seconded by Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parilament and Law) Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin and thereafter received unanimous support from the MPs present.

On August 23 last year, Azalina resigned from the post, but still served as interim Deputy Speaker for the duration of the sitting then.

The motion to postpone the election of the Deputy Speaker was brought up for the first time by Wan Junaidi on September 14 last year and again on October 25, followed by a motion for the same by Mas Ermieyati at the March 1 meeting (this year).

Wan Junaidi said the motion was originally listed in the Order Paper of the Second Meeting of the Fourth Term but had to be postponed to allow for the amendment to Article 57 (1) (b) of the Federal Constitution to increase the number of Deputy Speakers of the House of Representatives from two to three.

Article 57 (1) (b) of the Federal Constitution had stated that the Dewan Rakyat shall from time to time elect two Deputy Speakers from among the MPs. — Bernama