KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Hanifah Hajar Taib (GPS-Mukah) wasn’t present when the Dewan Rakyat voted on the Speaker because she was unwell, says Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof (pic).
According to Fadillah, Hanifah wasn’t feeling well and she came to Parliament later in the morning on Monday (Dec 19).
"She is now in Parliament but couldn’t make it in time for the voting of a new Speaker," said Fadillah.
Datuk Johari Abdul was elected as the new Speaker after former Sungai Petani MP obtained 147 votes from MPs.
Perikatan Nasional’s Speaker candidate Tan Sri Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad obtained 74 votes.
Meanwhile, the two newly elected Deputy Speakers were Datuk Ramli Mohd Nor (BN-Cameron Highlands) and Alice Lau (PH-Lanang), who obtained 148 votes and 146 votes, respectively.
