The Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat, despite the name, is seldom heard.

In this recollection of his short tenure as the Dewan Rakyat Speaker, Tan Sri Ariff Yusof, reveals his side of the story – dissecting the events and procedures of Parliament while providing an insider’s view of the unprecedented political developments that led to the fall of the Pakatan Harapan government in 2020 and his eventual removal. Meanwhile, a global pandemic starts to rage and was met with faltering response from the government, and a suspension of Parliament. 

Can we expect change to come from the Parliament, in the current scheme of things? Is there political interest to find new ground to move beyond race and religion? Can a Speaker alone change how things are done, independent of the other branches of government?

Parliament, Unexpected brings readers through an autobiographical journey to understand the sources of our political dysfunction, and what needs to be done to reset and retell the Malaysian story for a fairer, kinder and more equitable tanah air for all.