Who will be Selangor Speaker?
Mentri Besar keeping mum on candidate for the deputy too
KLANG: Now that the Selangor exco line-up and the portfolios have been announced, the big question is who will be named as Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
DAP had helmed the coveted position both after the 2008 and 2013 general elections with Datuk Teng Chang Khim and Hannah Yeoh assuming the role respectively.
The Deputy Speaker’s position was held by PKR’s Haniza Talha after the 2008 polls and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad also from PKR after the
2013 polls.
Nik Nazmi was subsequently replaced by PAS’ Mohd Shafie Ngah in 2014 after current Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali took over from his predecessor Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.
Azmin told a press conference on Wednesday that the candidates for both positions had been selected.
However, he declined to name them or say which party they are from.
“They are from Pakatan Harapan,” said Azmin.
Meanwhile, a Pakatan insider said the candidates for both positions were probably DAP’s Sekinchan assemblyman Ng Suee Lim and Paya Jaras PKR assemblyman Mohd Khairuddin Othman.
Mohd Khairuddin, who defected from PAS to join PKR several weeks before the polls, is a lawyer while Ng is a businessman.
“We don’t know who will be the Speaker and who will be the deputy,” said the source.
Ng, who is a four-term assemblyman, is known for his oratory skills while debating in the state legislative assembly sessions.
Funny yet factual, Ng’s debates always get the rapt attention of journalists and almost always put a smile even on the faces of the Opposition Barisan Nasional assemblymen.