Johor state assembly appoints first female deputy speaker

KOTA ISKANDAR: DAP's Penggaram assemblyman Gan Peck Cheng, 52, was appointed as Johor's first female state legislative assembly deputy speaker today.
The third term assemblywoman from Batu Pahat is also the vice-chairman of DAP Wanita.
During her 33-year political career, she was defeated five times in past general elections before securing the Penggaram seat in 2013.
She later became the state opposition chief in 2015 after Dr Boo Cheng Hau stepped down. She is a divorcee with five children.
Earlier, Parti Amanah Negara organising secretary, Suhaizan Kaiat was sworn in as the Johor assembly speaker .
Suhaizan, 45, from Muar, is a former lecturer from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and a former PAS Youth Chief. He joined Amanah in 2016.
Suhanzan was defeated by Datuk Md. Othman Yusof (Umno) by 862 votes for the Kukup state seat.
Suhaizan secured 10,251 votes, Md. Othman 11,113 votes, while PAS candidate, Karim Deraman secured 1,040 votes.
Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (Gambir), and Minister of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industries, Salahuddin Ayub (Simpang Jeram) were also sworn in as assemblymen in the ceremony.
Pakatan Harapan won 37 seats while BN managed 19 seats. Three BN elected assemblymen were among the 19 who had announced their withdrawal from BN, namely Sedili assemblyman Rasman Ithnain, Rosleli Jahari (Johor Lama) and Alawiyah Taib (Endau).
Today they were sworn in as independent assemblymen.
The appointment was done on the first sitting of the new term of the state assembly.