Tan Sri Datuk Seri Utama

Malay titles

The Malay language has a complex system of titles and honorifics, which are still used extensively in Malaysia and Brunei. Singapore, whose Malay royalty was abolished by the British colonial government in 1891, has adopted civic titles for its leaders....

 Pandikar Amin bin Haji Mulia is a Malaysian politician and the current Speaker

Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat

The Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat is the presiding officer of the Dewan Rakyat, the lower house of the Parliament of Malaysia. He is responsible for convening sessions of the Dewan Rakyat, organising debates, and examining the admissibility of petitions, bills and amendments.In the absence of the...

 of the Dewan Rakyat

Dewan Rakyat

The Dewan Rakyat is the lower house of the Parliament of Malaysia. All bills must usually be passed by both the Dewan Rakyat and the Dewan Negara , before they are given Royal Assent by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong...

, the lower house of the Parliament of Malaysia

Parliament of Malaysia

The Parliament of Malaysia is the national legislature of Malaysia, based on the Westminster system. The bicameral parliament consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The King as the Head of State is the third component of Parliament....

. He was previously a Minister in the Prime Minister's Department. After the 2008 general elections

Malaysian general election, 2008

The 12th Malaysian general election was held on March 8, 2008, in accordance with Malaysian laws for national elections, which states that a general election must be held no later than five years subsequent to the previous elections; the previous general election was held in 2004...

, the Barisan Nasional

Barisan Nasional

Barisan Nasional is a major political coalition in Malaysia, formed in 1973 as the successor to the Alliance . Along with its predecessor, it has been Malaysia's federal ruling political force since independence...

 coalition government announced that Pandikar, a member of the United Malays National Organization, would be the new Speaker, replacing Ramli Ngah Talib

Ramli Ngah Talib

Tan Sri Ramli Ngah Talib is a Malaysian politician active in the United Malays National Organisation. He served as the 8th Menteri Besar of Perak from 1983 to 1999 and was the Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat of the Malaysian Parliament from 2004 to 2008.He was born in Perak and received his early...

. The 12th Parliament will be the first to be presided over entirely by East Malaysians; Pandikar and his deputies, Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar

Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar

Datuk Dr. Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar is a Malaysian politician. He is currently the Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Santubong constituency in Sarawak, representing the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition and sitting as a Deputy Speaker of the House...

 and Ronald Kiandee

Ronald Kiandee

Datuk Ronald Kiandee is a Malaysian politician. He is currently the Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Beluran constituency in Sabah, representing the United Malay National Organisation party in the governing Barisan Nasional coalition...

, hail from either Sabah

Sabah

Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...

 or Sarawak

Sarawak

Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...

. Pandikar had previously served as the Speaker of the Sabah State Assembly from 1986 to 1988. In mid-May, after Parliament convened, Pandikar resigned as Kota Marudu UMNO division chief, citing the need to be a neutral presiding officer. He denied his resignation was linked to possible party-switching amongst UMNO MPs from East Malaysia.