Former academic Azmi Hassan said Ramli Mohd Nor’s nomination would force Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional to avoid rejecting him or abstaining when the Dewan Rakyat takes a vote.

Ramli, the MP for Cameron Highlands, is the first Orang Asli to be elected a member of Parliament.

Azmi said that while Ramli was an Umno MP, many more saw him as a representative from the indigenous community, and one who is a success story for the community if they are provided with equal opportunities.

“So If PH and PN were to prevent Ramli from moving up even further, it won’t look good for them.”

Another analyst, Jeniri Amir, said there was no reason for Ramli to be rejected by PN and PH, given that it was the first time an Orang Asli was nominated for such a post.

By nominated Ramli, Umno was showing that it is being inclusive, in line with the government’s “Keluarga Malaysia” concept. “If Ramli is rejected by both PN and PH, it will be bad for both the coalitions,” said Jeniri, who is a fellow of the National Council of Professors.

However, James Chin of the University of Tasmania’s Asia Institute agreed it would be tougher for PH and PN to reject Ramli, “but it won’t be detrimental to the two coalitions if they rejected him, despite his nomination being highly symbolic”.

Chin said there would be those who would argue that he lacked the experience in parliamentary affairs. “People would understand that he lacks experience, so it will not create a huge controversy” if Ramli failed to be voted deputy speaker.

He was confident that Ramli would get the post, given the government’s slim majority and the fact that there was little time to name another candidate.