Following the resignation of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as Prime Minister, Malaysians once again find themselves waiting with bated breath on who the next Prime Minister is going to be. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to show no signs of slowing, many of us are hoping that the next leader will be able to steer us to brighter days.
Well, it turns out that we may not need to wait that long after all. In a letter issued today to Members of Parliament, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Art Harun has informed all MPs to submit a certified letter stating their support for ONE candidate to be the next Premier.
What caught the attention of most Malaysians however, was how the letter(s) was to be sent. Towards the end, Art Harun writes that the letters could be submitted to the Palace via fax, email, or Whatsapp! According to the Speaker, this was because the Palace remained under Phase 1 of the National Recovery Plan and this was one way to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
The authenticity of the letter has been verified and MPs allegedly have until 4 p.m. tomorrow (18 August) to submit their letters.
BREAKING: Dewan Rakyat speaker Azhar Harun has requested all MPs to submit a letter of declaration nominating only one candidate as the 9th Prime Minister.
He says the MPs must send their letters to Istana Negara by 4pm tomorrow. https://t.co/PqoTfAocmz pic.twitter.com/loLrY8nF6Z
— BFM News (@NewsBFM) August 17, 2021
While it’s good to see such quick inroads made towards the appointment of a new leader, certain parties have voiced their concerns about transparency. Popular political journalist Norman Goh urged Malaysians to demand that their respective MPs disclose their nominations.
Dear Malaysians, please ensure your MPs inform you as well. As voters, demand your MPs to disclose their nominations to Agong.
I don't understand why we can't hold a special parliamentary sitting to vote for a new PM and then the Speaker presents it to the King.
— Norman Goh (@imnormgoh) August 17, 2021
Others, like CodeBlue Editor-in-Chief Boo Su-Lyn, opinionated that the vote should be done openly in Parliament instead.
This should be done openly in the House. Malaysians have the right to know who their MP endorses as PM. https://t.co/wuo0ddu6dE
— Boo Su-Lyn (@boosulyn) August 17, 2021
Regardless of what transpires over the next 48 hours, Malaysia may well have it’s ninth Prime Minister very soon.
