No DPM position under the Constitution

SHAH ALAM - The Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) post is actually a position that is not stipulated under the Federal Constitution.

Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia constitutional expert Professor Nik Ahmad Kamal Nik Mahmood said only the appointment of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet ministers were provided under Article 43 of the constitution.

"Under Article 43, it is stated that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong should elect an MP as a Prime Minister to lead the cabinet.

"Subsequently on the advice of the Prime Minister, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong must then appoint the other ministers among the MPs. So, there is no DPM position," he told Sinar Harian.

It was reported that Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) had each offered a similar manifesto to create three DPM positions if their coalition was chosen to lead the government after the 15th General Election (GE15).

BN chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi proposed that the three DPM positions was included in the Sabah BN manifesto while PH chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said PH will maintain their proposal on DPM positions to be created.

However, Anwar's press secretary Tunku Nashrul Tunku Abaidah explained the PKR president only announced the proposal for two DPM posts and not three, one from the peninsula and another one from Sabah or Sarawak.

Meanwhile, Nik Ahmad Kamal who is also the National Council of Professors' head of governance, law and public administration cluster explained that the appointment of a DPM has become a practice in the country since its independence.

"Since the first PM Tunku Abdul Rahman's administration, a DPM had been elected who was Tun Abdul Razak Hussein who became the first DPM in the country.

"This is a practice in each election when a new government is chosen or each time there is a change of PM," he said.

However, Nik Ahmad Kamal said the eighth prime minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin changed it by not electing a DPM in his administration but then changed his mind by appointing Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob to the position before the fall of Perikatan Nasional (PN).

When asked regarding the proposal to create three DPM posts, he said it would be a waste.

He said there was no specific rule to determine how many DPMs there could be.