Its chairman P Waythamoorthy said both Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof and Mohd Hishamudin Yunus were good choices as they would be impartial in presiding over parliamentary debates.
“This is because of their extensive knowledge of the law,” he said, adding that neither one had shown political leanings during their time on the bench.
“These former judges are very knowledgeable about the law and have proven to be impartial in the cases over which they presided.
“Furthermore, they would protect and uphold the sanctity of the Dewan Rakyat while defending the independent role of the speaker,” he said.
Waythamoorthy was responding to reports that Ariff and Hishamudin, who retired in 2015, were the frontrunners for the post of Dewan Rakyat speaker.
They were known for several judgments not favourable to the authorities, especially in cases related to draconian laws such as the now-defunct Internal Security Act and Official Secrets Act.
Waythamoorthy voiced confidence that both Ariff and Hishamudin would act independently and would not shy away from reprimanding or ejecting MPs from the house.
“They would also ask MPs to withdraw remarks if they use abusive language. They can suspend the sitting of the house in the event of serious disorder. They also have the power to suspend MPs who are deliberately disobedient,” he said.
He gave the example of an incident in May 2016 involving former New Zealand prime minister John Key, who was ordered out of the debating chamber for failing to heed several calls to order.
“We need speakers with fortitude to stand up to anyone, or even suspend those who disobey the Dewan,” he said.
He also pointed to the UK, where newly elected speakers in the House of Commons must resign from their political parties and remain separate from political issues.
“If we were to appoint retired judges, we would not face such problems,” he said.