Malacca postpones budget sitting, opposition reps livid

 

The Malacca legislative assembly sitting scheduled for Nov 9 to 11 has been postponed for a month.

According to a notice by the chief assistant secretary to the government Ahmad Azlan Ahmad Salleh, the move was necessary in view of the conditional movement control order (MCO) which will take effect tomorrow.

The conditional MCO will place restrictions on gatherings and travel, although legislative meetings were not explicitly banned.

The sitting, which was expected to see the state's budget being tabled, will begin on Dec 8 instead.

Machap Jaya lawmaker Ginie Lim disagreed with the government's decision to postpone the sitting on grounds that it would cause problems for the running of the government and public inconvenience.

Ginie Lim

The PKR women's wing committee member said it was important to have the budget scrutinised by lawmakers because it involved economic and welfare policies.

"The Malacca government should emulate Selangor which continued with its sitting even when the conditional MCO was in force.

"Selangor has proven that a legislature can sit if guidelines to prevent the spread of Covid-19 were adhered to," Lim said.

Meanwhile, Ayer Keroh assemblyperson Kerk Chee Yee described the postponement as rushed and unreasonable.

He pointed out that at the federal level, the Parliament sitting was still proceeding despite the conditional MCO but with precautions.

He also echoed the example of the Selangor assembly which has continued to convene but with certain standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Kerk stressed the need to respect the legislative system.

"If the Malacca state assembly cannot carry out such SOPs, then the Malacca government can instead have a virtual sitting," he said. - Mkini