SHAH ALAM, June 12: Pakatan Rakyat (PR) unanimously agreed to nominate former Federal Court Judge, Datuk Haji Abdul Kadir Sulaiman as the Speaker (Yang di-Pertua) of the Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives) for the thirteenth Parliament.
Permatang Pauh Member of Parliament, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that naming Abdul Kadir as the Speaker was put forward under the name of the Bandar Tun Razak Member of Parliament cum Chief Minister of Selangor as representing PR on 10 June 2013.
“A lettered notice of the nomination was submitted by the Dewan Rakyat Secretary in accordance with the Dewan Rakyat Council Regulations 4(1).
“PR insisted that the Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat must be elected from among the independent, neutral non-party, competent and qualified to serve,” said Anwar in a media statement.
Anwar said that Abdul Kadir meets all the criteria as he had righteously served the country for over 50 years in various departments, ministries, state commissions, the judiciary and the State Royal Council.
Abdul Kadir retired as a Judge of the Federal Court on 28 March 2006. He was then appointed as a member of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on Teoh Beng Hock’s death.
He was also a member of the MACC Transformation Executive Committee and a member of the Advisory Council of the Regent of Terengganu.
“PR is confident that Datuk Abdul Kadir Sulaiman’s election as the Speaker will improve the respect of the people on the Parliament institution and boost its credibility in the international arena,” said Anwar.