By Nur Ashikin Louis
KUCHING, Dec 20: Lanang MP Alice Lau has been appointed as Deputy Speaker for the 15th Parliament session in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
The announcement was made by the newly elected Speaker Datuk Johari Abdul during the parliamentary sitting.
The Sarawakian was one of the two names proposed by Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim and seconded by Deputy Prime Minister Dato Sri Fadillah Yusof for the post.
The other candidate was Cameron Highlands MP Dato Ramli Mohd Nor who was also appointed as the Deputy Speaker.
Both Ramli and Alice garnered 148 and 146 votes, respectively.
Alice, 41, is a member of Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak and is the second Sarawakian to be appointed as a Deputy Speaker after former Santubong MP Dato Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB).
Meanwhile, the Opposition bench has named former Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law), Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, as their candidate who managed to secure only 74 votes.
She was proposed by Kota Bharu MP Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan and supported by Kuala Terengganu MP Datuk Ahmad Amzad Hashim. — DayakDaily
