Pontian MP Ahmad Maslan has withdrawn his candidacy for the Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker position.

He said one of the reasons for the move is so that he can prioritise his responsibilities as the Umno secretary-general.

The former deputy minister explained that his decision was unrelated to remarks made by Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin today that it is unnecessary to create another deputy speaker position.