Motion to sack reps who party-hop will be raised at Penang assembly

 

A special motion to declare as vacant, the seats of assemblypersons who violated the state’s anti-party-hopping law, is expected to be the focus of the Penang State Legislative Assembly sitting which begins next Monday.

State Speaker Law Choo Kiang said most of the questions received from the assemblypersons for the coming sitting were on the economy which had been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, on the Penang Transport Master Plan, and on the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project.

"I have also received a special motion to declare the seats of assemblymen who violated the state’s anti-hopping law, vacant," he told Bernama when contacted today.

He said the sitting, scheduled to be from Oct 12 to 19, would be held at Dewan Sri Pinang as the State Legislative Assembly Building in Light Street was still under restoration work.

However, Law said he would restrict the number of visitors to Dewan Sri Pinang in accordance with the standard operating procedure (SOP) due to Covid-19.

He said he would be assessing the Covid-19 situation for the next seven to 10 days before sending out invitations for press coverage.

"Like it or not, we’re still in the recovery MCO (Movement Control Order) period, so we must comply with the SOP. We will also adhere to the views of the Health Ministry and Security Council to protect ourselves and others," he added.

Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow reportedly announced that the state government would table the motion for assemblypersons to vacate their seats after they violated the state's anti-party-hopping law, in accordance with Section 14A of the Penang State Constitution.

He said the tabling of the motion was the state government’s initiative based on the principles of democracy to enable assemblypersons to debate before any decision was reached.

The four assemblypersons who announced they had lost faith in the leadership of Pakatan Harapan were Khaliq Mehtab Mohd Ishaq (Bertam) and Zolkifli Md Lazim (Teluk Bahang) from Bersatu, as well as Dr Afif Bahardin (Seberang Jaya) and Zulkifli Ibrahim (Sungai Acheh), whose memberships with PKR were suspended.

- Bernama