KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 3 — Law Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar today explained that the appointment of a new Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker was postponed as the Opposition has yet to name a candidate for the position.

"I only find one name which is a candidate from the government side. I called Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and he was in India at the time.

"I told him that due to non-nomination from PH for the Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker position, we will retract the current candidate due to the previous understanding," he said during a press conference at the Parliament here today.

Earlier during the Parliament session, Wan Junaidi announced that the appointment of a new deputy speaker had been postponed, making it the fifth time since the position was vacated by Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said in August last year.

The motion to postpone the election of the Deputy Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat was first brought by Wan Junaidi on September 14 last year and on October 25 was followed by a motion by Mas Ermieyati at the March 1 conference.

The last time the motion was brought up by Wan Junaidi was on July 18 this year.

For the record, Article 57 (1)(b) of the Federal Constitution states that the Dewan Rakyat shall from time to time elect two Deputy Speakers from among the members of Dewan Rakyat.