Azhar Azizan Harun
Azhar bin Azizan Harun (; born 26 October 1962), also known as Art Harun, is a Malaysian politician and lawyer who served as 10th Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat since July 2020. He served as 9th Chairman of the Election Commission (EC) from September 2018 to his resignation in June 2020. Early life and education. Azhar was born in Ayer Hitam, Kedah. He is the younger brother of Idrus Harun, who has been the Attorney-General of Malaysia since March 2020. Azhar read law at the University of Malaya and graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Laws  in 1986. He then furthered his studies at the King's College London and obtained his degree of Master of Laws (with merit) there. Career. Legal practice. Azhar started his career at a firm named Allen & Gledhill in 1987 and also used to work at Tetuan KH Koh, Azhar & Koh in 1992. Then, he continued his career at various law firms like Tetuan Khaw & Hussein, Tetuan TH Su & Partners, Tetuan Lamin & Co, Tetuan Hisham Sobri & Kadir, Tetuan Shafee & Co and Tetuan Cheang & Ariff (owned by Tan Sri Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof, who had become the Parliament Speaker whom Azhar has  succeeded later). He was also a defendant lawyer, as well as a solicitor at Tetuan Azhar & Goh. Chairman of Election Commission (2018-2020). Azhar was first appointed as the Chairman of EC on 21 September 2018, not long after the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition under new Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad came into power succeeding their campaigns against previous Barisan Nasional (BN) government corruptions and abuses in the 2018 general election (GE14), as his past experience and known reputation suits the institutional reforms agenda of new ruling PH administration and the peoples' mandate as well as expectations had made himself a  right choice. Eight by-elections were held under his chairmanship and he had implemented a number of reforms in the country's electoral system including online voter registration, voter's card, providing facilities for disabled and elderly voters as well as live-streaming of the vote counting process on Facebook. He served the office until his resignation on 29 June 2020. Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (since 2020). After quitting EC position, as speculated Azhar was appointed as the Parliament Speaker on 13 July 2020, in the time of a change government again in the 2020 Malaysian political crisis after  being nominated by the Perikatan Nasional (PN) new Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin His controversial appointment motion moved in advance by Muhyiddin following an impromptu motion to unseat incumbent Mohamad Ariff first leaving himself the single nomination and candidacy for the vacant position. The motion seconded by Senior Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali, succeeded with a 111–109 vote. He had oversaw the suspension of Parliament due to the proclamation 2021 Malaysian state of emergency from January to August which had also witnessed the flip-flop enactment and revocation of Emergency Ordinance (EO), to prevent or delay any election to keep power by  hiding behind the motive to curb COVID-19 pandemic has leads to his failures to protect the rights of parliamentarians of the house. The replacement of Ismail Sabri Yaakob of Barisan Nasional (BN) as new Prime Minister of the PN government in August 2021 has allowed controversial Azhar to stay remain as Parliament Speaker. Azhar has continues defending the PN - BN government's favour on a number of occasions whenever the administration is in predicaments. He has even on 6 October 2021 rejected a motion proposed by Opposition Leader, Anwar Ibrahim to debate the Pandora Papers matter as being not urgent , although it is widely and internationally considered an important of money being illegally siphoned and held offshore (outside the country) that must be investigated immediately. On 20 December 2021, Azhar was criticised in dismissing the demands and calls from MPs to debate the December 2021 Malaysian floods worsening crisis during the parliamentary sitting. On 20 January 2022, Azhar was slammed again for preventing the parliament from debating the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Azam Baki shareholding controversy.