KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional disagree over the candidacy for Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker, and that is why the election has been deferred for the third time.

Sin Chew Daily learned that both BN and PN failed to reach a consensus on the candidacy of the deputy speaker and decided to defer the motion on the election listed as the first item on the Order Paper.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin tabled a motion on the postponement of the election of deputy speaker to the next meeting.

Sources said the government proposed Datuk Ramli Mohd Noor, the member of parliament for Cameron Highlands, to be the deputy speaker of Dewan Rakyat, but Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia refused to support the proposal.

Despite the deferment, Ramli chaired the meeting as ad hoc Speaker in the afternoon meeting.

Former deputy speaker Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said quit on August 23 last year.

Umno proposed Pontian MP Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan to fill the vacancy but he declined in a press conference on October 7 last year, citing his need to focus on party affairs and his responsibility as Umno secretary-general.

The Dewan Rakyat previously deferred the deputy speaker election twice, on September 14 and October 25.

Currently, Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun is the Dewan Rakyat Speaker while Batu Pahat MP Datuk Rashid Hasnon from Bersatu is one of the two deputy speakers.

Ramli will be the first Orang Asli to be Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker if he is elected.

Pakatan Harapan is likely to propose Teluk Intan MP Nga Kor Ming to be the candidate for deputy speaker.