(Oct 12): A vote of no-confidence against Datuk Seri Najib Razak may not succeed as it is dependent on Parliament's speaker prerogative, said Umno federal lawmaker Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.

The Gua Musang MP said parliamentarians could submit such a motion but cautioned that it might not see the light of day.

By parliamentary convention, government business has to be completed before any motions can be deliberated.

"We were told the speaker has the right to reject any effort like that because it is not stated in the standing orders.

"So any efforts to have such a motion that is not allowed by the speaker will be futile if we want to bring it.

"But there are other ways to approach this," he said without elaborating.

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who was at the same press conference, repeated his call for a no-confidence vote against Najib.

He said a no-confidence vote was a democratic way to remove a leader but acknowledged that "people in power" could do anything to prevent it from happening.

"It should be of concern for all MPs. This is happening all over the world, in democratic countries when a leader loses the confidence of his MPs, he has to step down. It is provided in our constitution," he said.

In a reference to the new security law, the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) which Putrajaya had said would be used against terrorists but is now being used against government critics, veteran Umno leader Tan Sri Sanusi Junid expressed surprise at the authorities' apparent stand that removing the prime minister was considered an act of terrorism.

"If you regard toppling the prime minister is terroristic threat, then toppling the government is more terroristic threat, then you should go out and arrest all opposition.

"It seems toppling the government is not a crime, but toppling the prime minister is," he said in denouncing the detention of former Umno leader Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan and Matthias Chang under Sosma.

Najib's critics had called for a no-confidence motion to be tabled against him. The prime minister is currently under fire for the scandal surrounding his brainchild, state investment vehicle 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) as well as the RM2.6 billion "donation" from an unknown Middle Eastern donor into his personal accounts ahead of the 2013 general election.

Multiracial opposition party PKR had previously said the opposition only needed 25 BN parliamentarians to support the no-confidence motion to force Najib to step down.

Najib's supporter-turned-staunch-critic, Dr Mahathir, had also urged BN federal lawmakers to throw their support behind the no-confidence motion. – The Malaysian Insider