New dates for assembly meeting to be announced next week, says Perlis MB

 Abu Bakar Hamzah brushes off PAS assemblymen’s demand for an explanation on sudden postponement.

Six assemblymen from PAS had given Perlis menteri besar Abu Bakar Hamzah a week to explain the sudden postponement of the upcoming state assembly meeting. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 The dates for the Perlis state assembly’s upcoming meeting will be announced next week, menteri besar Abu Bakar Hamzah said, after the three-day meeting scheduled to begin on April 21 was postponed without explanation.

“Just wait, we’ll discuss it first. Once the new dates are finalised, we’ll respond next week,” Abu Bakar, who is also the Kuala Perlis assemblyman, told FMT.

Responding to Sanglang assemblyman Shukri Ramli’s remark that the postponement was unusual, he said: “Let him say what he wants. I’ll respond in due course.”

Shukri, along with five other Perlis PAS assemblymen, had given Abu Bakar one week to explain the sudden postponement of the assembly meeting.

Shukri said the meeting was important as there were numerous outstanding issues requiring answers from the state government.

The former Perlis menteri besar also expressed disappointment that the PAS assemblymen were not consulted over the postponement.

In a letter dated April 17, state assembly secretary Anwar Shahul Hameed said the opening and first meeting of the fourth session of the state assembly, originally scheduled from April 21 to 23, had been postponed to a later date to be announced.

No reason for the postponement was provided.

The meeting would have been the first since the political crisis of December 2025, when several Perikatan Nasional assemblymen withdrew support for Shukri as menteri besar.

Eight PN assemblymen, comprising three from PAS and five from Bersatu, had reportedly submitted statutory declarations to withdraw their support.

Shukri resigned on Dec 25, citing health reasons. Abu Bakar, from Bersatu, was later appointed as menteri besar. - FMT