PETALING JAYA: Former law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar has been nominated for the Dewan Negara president’s post.
“Yes, I can confirm that I’ve been nominated by the government (as Dewan Negara president),” the former seven-term MP told FMT briefly.
Earlier, Malaysiakini quoted sources as saying that Wan Junaidi was named as a candidate to replace Rais Yatim, whose tenure as the Senate’s president ended yesterday.
The sources also said that Wan Junaidi’s nomination, as the coalition government’s candidate for the position, was agreed upon as he had expertise in the field of law and had gained vast experience over the years.
Wan Junaidi served as law minister under Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s administration from 2021 to 2022, and as entrepreneur development and co-operatives minister under the previous government led by prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin.
He was also the Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker from 2008 until 2013.
Wan Junaidi was Batang Lupar MP from 1990 to 2004 and subsequently Santubong MP until 2022. He did not contest in the 15th general election.
Malaysiakini also quoted several sources from Barisan Nasional as saying that the government would nominate Umno leader Nur Jazlan Mohamed for the post of deputy speaker of Dewan Negara.
The position of deputy speaker of Dewan Negara was left vacant after Ali Mohamad’s senatorship ended in May.
Nur Jazlan was Pulai MP for three terms from 2004. He contested the seat in the last two general elections, but did not win.
Rais was appointed as the 18th Dewan Negara president in September 2020, replacing SA Vigneswaran, whose term ended in June the same year.
He was elected through a secret ballot and faced two contenders for the post, Yusmadi Yusoff and Theodore Douglas Lind. Theodore withdrew at the last minute.
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