By Amar Shah Mohsen
SHAH ALAM, Aug 23 — The candidate for the State Legislative Assembly speaker has not been finalised yet, according to Selangor Menteri Besar Dato' Seri Amirudin Shari.
This is despite DAP's request for its former Banting assemblyman Lau Weng San to be given the position, in return for the party giving up its Dusun Tua seat to Barisan Nasional (BN) in the recent state election.
Speaking at a press conference today, Amirudin said while DAP has proposed Lau's name, the identity of the speaker will only be finalised and revealed after Malaysia Day, coinciding with the first sitting of the new assembly.
"This will be carried out in an orderly and prudent manner, through the proper process," he said, adding that initial discussions on the matter have already taken place.
"The matter needs to be deliberated because it involves and requires the consensus of all 34 assemblymen from the government bench, and particularly from the top leadership."
Amirudin was asked if Lau has been confirmed as the new Selangor speaker.
Previously on July 23, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook had said his party had nominated Lau, who sat out the August 12 state election, to be the next Selangor speaker in the event of a Pakatan Harapan victory in the polls.
He said this was the condition given to the coalition's top leadership in return for the party allowing BN to contest in Dusun Tua, previously held by DAP.
“When we were asked to give up Dusun Tua, the condition we set was for us to nominate someone who is not an assemblyman to be the new state speaker. And our proposal is Lau,” he had said.
