# Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat

The Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (Malay: Yang di-Pertua Dewan Rakyat, Jawi: يڠ دڤرتوا ديوان رعيت‎) is the highest-ranking presiding officer of the Dewan Rakyat, the lower house of the Parliament of Malaysia. They are responsible for convening sessions of the Dewan Rakyat, organising debates, and examining the admissibility of petitions, bills, and amendments. In the absence of the Speaker, one of their deputies will take their place.
The current speaker is Johari Abdul. He was elected on 19 December 2022 for the 15th Malaysian Parliament.

## Functions

The Speaker determines when a sitting of the House should open and close, and may suspend the sitting for a brief period of time if necessary. He is also in charge of ensuring the Constitution and Standing Orders of the House are given due respect; disciplining members of the House; determining who shall have the floor during a sitting; calling a vote; and checking for a quorum when the House meets. He only participates in a vote when there is a tie. The Speaker also has powers some allege to be excessive, such as imposing limits on the posing of supplementary questions during Question Time — an important procedure for the legislature to examine the government's actions — the power to restrict the tabling of questions for Question Time, and the power to amend written copies of speeches made by members of the House before they are given verbally.

## Speaker election

The Speaker is elected to a term that lasts for the length of the term of the Dewan Rakyat that elected him. His term ends when the House is dissolved and a general election is called. He is elected when the House meets for the first time after a general election by the members of the House, who are called MPs. Any MP is qualified to be the Speaker of the House, but non-MPs who meet the same qualifications required to be an MP are also eligible for election as Speaker. A candidate for Speaker must be nominated and seconded by at least two MPs other than himself. This nomination process must be conducted at least 14 days before the election of the Speaker. If only one candidate meets these conditions, he is automatically elected Speaker; otherwise, voting by secret ballot is conducted, with the winner decided by a simple majority. Two deputy Speakers are elected in a similar manner.
The Secretary (Malay:Setiausaha) of the House presides over the voting.

## List of speakers of the Dewan Rakyat

| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) (Constituency) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Party | Parliament |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) (Constituency) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Party | Parliament |
| 1 | | Tan Sri Dato' Haji Mohamed Noah Omar (1897–1991) MP for Johore Bahru Timor | 11 September 1959 | 17 May 1964 | 4 years, 250 days | | Alliance (UMNO) | 1st |
| 2 | | Dato' Syed Esa Alwee MP for Batu Pahat Dalam | 18 May 1964 | 24 November 1964 | 191 days | | Alliance (UMNO) | 2nd |
| 3 | | Tan Sri Dato' Chik Mohamad Yusuf (1907–1975) Non-MP | 25 November 1964 | 3 November 1974 | 9 years, 344 days | | Alliance (UMNO) | – |
| 3 | | Tan Sri Dato' Chik Mohamad Yusuf (1907–1975) Non-MP | 25 November 1964 | 3 November 1974 | 9 years, 344 days | | Alliance (UMNO) | 3rd |
| 4 | | Tan Sri Dato' Haji Nik Ahmad Kamil (1909–1977) Non-MP | 4 November 1974 | 19 December 1977 | 3 years, 46 days | | BN (UMNO) | 4th |
| 5 | | Tun Dr. Syed Nasir Ismail (1921–1982) MP for Pagoh (until 1978) Non-MP | 21 December 1977 | 16 March 1982 | 4 years, 86 days | | BN (UMNO) | – |
| 5 | | Tun Dr. Syed Nasir Ismail (1921–1982) MP for Pagoh (until 1978) Non-MP | 21 December 1977 | 16 March 1982 | 4 years, 86 days | | BN (UMNO) | 5th |
| 6 | | Tun Dr. Mohamed Zahir Ismail (1924–2004) Non-MP | 14 June 1982 | 14 October 2004 | 22 years, 123 days | | BN (UMNO) | 6th |
| 6 | | Tun Dr. Mohamed Zahir Ismail (1924–2004) Non-MP | 14 June 1982 | 14 October 2004 | 22 years, 123 days | | BN (UMNO) | 7th |
| 6 | | Tun Dr. Mohamed Zahir Ismail (1924–2004) Non-MP | 14 June 1982 | 14 October 2004 | 22 years, 123 days | | BN (UMNO) | 8th |
| 6 | | Tun Dr. Mohamed Zahir Ismail (1924–2004) Non-MP | 14 June 1982 | 14 October 2004 | 22 years, 123 days | | BN (UMNO) | 9th |
| 6 | | Tun Dr. Mohamed Zahir Ismail (1924–2004) Non-MP | 14 June 1982 | 14 October 2004 | 22 years, 123 days | | BN (UMNO) | 10th |
| 6 | | Tun Dr. Mohamed Zahir Ismail (1924–2004) Non-MP | 14 June 1982 | 14 October 2004 | 22 years, 123 days | | BN (UMNO) | 11th |
| 7 | | Tan Sri Dato' Seri Diraja Ramli Ngah Talib (born 1941) MP for Pasir Salak | 22 November 2004 | 27 April 2008 | 3 years, 158 days | | BN (UMNO) | – |
| 8 | | Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Pandikar Amin Mulia (born 1955) Non-MP | 28 April 2008 | 15 July 2018 | 10 years, 79 days | | BN (UMNO) | 12th |
| 8 | | Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Pandikar Amin Mulia (born 1955) Non-MP | 28 April 2008 | 15 July 2018 | 10 years, 79 days | | BN (UMNO) | 13th |
| 9 | | Tan Sri Dato' Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof (born 1949) Non-MP | 16 July 2018 | 13 July 2020 | 1 year, 364 days | | PH (AMANAH) | 14th |
| 10 | | Tan Sri Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun (born 1962) Non-MP | 13 July 2020 | 18 December 2022 | 2 years, 159 days | | Independent | – |
| 11 | | Tan Sri Dato' Johari Abdul (born 1955) Non-MP | 19 December 2022 | Incumbent | 1 year, 329 days | | PH (PKR) | 15th |

### Election results

| Election Date | Candidates | Votes | Nominated by | Seconded by | Secretary |
| 11 September 1959 | Mohamad Noah Omar | Unopposed | Tunku Abdul Rahman | Teoh Chze Chong | C. A. Frederick |
| 18 May 1964 | Syed Esa Alwee | Unopposed | Tunku Abdul Rahman | Asri Muda | Sheikh Abdullah Sheikh Abu Bakar |
| 25 November 1964 | Chik Mohamad Yusuf Sheikh Abdul Rahman | Unopposed | Tunku Abdul Rahman | Ng Kam Poh | Sheikh Abdullah Sheikh Abu Bakar |
| 20 February 1971 | Chik Mohamad Yusuf Sheikh Abdul Rahman | Unopposed | Abdul Razak Hussein | Nik Ahmad Kamil Nik Mahmood | Ahmad Abdullah |
| 4 November 1974 | Nik Ahmad Kamil Nik Mahmood | Unopposed | Abdul Razak Hussein | Hussein Onn | Azizul Rahman Abdul Aziz |
| 9 January 1978 | Syed Nasir Ismail | Unopposed | Hussein Onn | Lee San Choon | Azizul Rahman Abdul Aziz |
| 31 July 1978 | Syed Nasir Ismail | Unopposed | Hussein Onn | Lee San Choon | Azizul Rahman Abdul Aziz |
| 14 June 1982 | Mohamed Zahir Ismail | Unopposed | Mahathir Mohamad | Musa Hitam | Azizul Rahman Abdul Aziz |
| 6 October 1986 | Mohamed Zahir Ismail | Unopposed | Mahathir Mohamad | Ling Liong Sik | Azizul Rahman Abdul Aziz |
| 3 December 1990 | Mohamed Zahir Ismail | Unopposed | Mahathir Mohamad | Ling Liong Sik | Wan Zahir Sheikh Abdul Rahman |
| 7 June 1995 | Mohamed Zahir Ismail | Unopposed | Mahathir Mohamad | Ling Liong Sik | Abdul Rahman Ali |
| 20 December 1999 | Mohamed Zahir Ismail | Unopposed | Mahathir Mohamad | Ling Liong Sik | Mohd. Salleh Hassan |
| 17 May 2004 | Mohamed Zahir Ismail | Unopposed | Abdullah Ahmad Badawi | Najib Razak | Abdullah Abdul Wahab |
| 22 November 2004 | Ramli Ngah Talib | 185 | Abdullah Ahmad Badawi | Ong Ka Ting | Abdullah Abdul Wahab |
| 22 November 2004 | Tan Seng Giaw | 10 | Lim Kit Siang | Kulasegaran Murugeson | Abdullah Abdul Wahab |
| 28 April 2008 | Pandikar Amin Mulia | Unopposed | Abdullah Ahmad Badawi | Najib Razak | Roosme Hamzah |
| 24 June 2013 | Pandikar Amin Mulia | 133 | Najib Razak | Muhyiddin Yassin | Roosme Hamzah |
| 24 June 2013 | Abdul Kadir Sulaiman | 89 | Abdul Khalid Ibrahim | Karpal Singh | Roosme Hamzah |
| 16 July 2018 | Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof | Unopposed | Mahathir Mohamad | Wan Azizah Wan Ismail | Roosme Hamzah |
| 13 July 2020 | Azhar Azizan Harun | Unopposed | Muhyiddin Yassin | Mohamed Azmin Ali | Nizam Mydin |
| 19 December 2022 | Johari Abdul | 147 | Anwar Ibrahim | Ahmad Zahid Hamidi | Nizam Mydin |
| 19 December 2022 | Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad | 74 | Hamzah Zainudin | Takiyuddin Hassan | Nizam Mydin |